Hetalia Tales 5:5 : A Fairy Tale Job
by pastaaddict
Summary: Linked to Hetalia Tales 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. The Keepers of the Tales, Kiku and Hercules, are working to make sure the Tales go just how they should. From Sleeping Beauty to Tangled, they work to bring about the Happily Ever Afters!
1. Pt 1

**This was meant to be a one-shot but it was longer than I expected it to be and I wanted to get something out today it's now a two part, maybe three, depending on how long this turns out.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **I don't own Hetalia!**

 _ **Hetalia Tales 5:5 : A Fairy Tale Job Pt 1**_

 _Sleeping Beauty..._

Kiku Honda looked toward the house next door to his in Rome as three men moved in, one of them, a man with messy blonde hair, green eyes and big eyebrows, was carrying a sleeping baby with auburn hair and a little springy curl. The others, one who's blonde hair was held back by a Nordic cross barrette and fathomless blue eyes and the other, a strawberry-blonde with red eyes, began carrying in belongings, the first being a crib for the child.

Kiku had been waiting for their arrival, had moved into the next house for just this moment and decided to introduce himself. He approached the three men as they came out together to gather the last of their belonging from their cart.

"Excuse me!" he greeted, politely and, when they turned toward him, he bowed. "Kon'nichiwa! My name is Kiku, I live in the next house and came to present you with a welcoming gift." He held out a bowl filled with cookies and sweets. The three men looked a little wary for a moment and then, being the polite gentleman he was, the green-eyed man stepped forward and accepted the gift.

"Thank you," he replied. "My name's Arthur and this is Lukas and Vladimir." The other two nodded and Kiku bowed again.

"It's an honour to meet you!" he said. "I hope you make a happy home here." Kiku did not mention the baby. He knew exactly who these men were and who the child was and he did not want to put these men on their guard by showing too much interest in the infant.

"I look forward to being your neighbour," he bowed again. "Sayōnara!" He turned and left but he could heard the men whispering as he walked away.

"Should you have talked to him?" the one called Lukas asked. "Considering what we have to protect!"

"We can't shun all contact," Arthur replied. "It'll draw attention!"

"I agree with Arthur," the last one, Vladimir replied. "I don't get a bad aura coming from him, I think he's just being polite. I don't think he poses a threat to little 'Italia'."

Kiku smiled as he walked away. Let them keep their secrets! He already knew all about them and little 'Italia'!

As one of the Keepers of the Tales, it was his job to know!

* * *

 _Christmas Day, 3 years later..._

Kiku knocked on the door of The Three Fae bearing gifts for the three year old 'girl'. The Fae trusted him enough to allow him near the child and it was the best part of this job. Italia was the sweetest and loved the nickname he gave 'her'. 'Chibitalia' meaning 'Little Italy'.

Lukas answered the door to find the Japanese man on the doorstep with parcels and Kiku bowed to him.

"Kon'nichiwa," he greeted. "I bring gifts for Chibitalia!" Lukas did not smile but then he never showed much emotion and he invited Kiku to come in. The little three year old was sat among the new toys and clothes as Arthur and Vladimir sat around her, smiling at the happiness on the child's face which grew a huge smile when she saw the Japanese man and waved at him.

"Ve~ Ciao, Kiku," she greeted. "Buon Natale! ( _Merry Christmas!_ )."

"Kon'nichiwa, Chibitalia," Kiku replied. "I hope you have been having a good day."

"Si!" she said, excitedly and held up a little brown, stuffed cat. "This is Pookie!" Kiku smiled.

"Pretty cat!" Kiku smiled and presented two prettily wrapped parcels to the child. "These are for you, little one!" Chibitalia took the gifts, excitedly.

"Grazie!" she thanked him and sat back down, pulling the wrapping from the first gift. It was a lovely child's kimono, printed with flowers and big sleeves. Chibitalia hugged it to her chest.

"Ve~ Pretty!" she declared in a child's way. "Grazie, Kiku!" And she unwrapped the other present. Inside was another cat toy with a little pink dress and a bow on her head with no mouth but Chibitalia love it.

"A friend for Pookie!" she giggled, hugging the toy and then she hugged Kiku. "Grazie, Kiku! Grazie!" She let go and stood back still hugging her new cat and Kiku smiled at her.

"You are most welcome, Chibitalia," he replied and Kiku ran to Vladimir wanting to wear the kimono and he took her away to change.

"Thank you, Kiku," Arthur said. "You didn't have to do that but you made Italia's Christmas even better." Kiku bowed.

"You are most welcome," he replied. "I will not interrupt your day any further, Sayōnara!" He turned to leave.

"Would you like to join us for Christmas dinner?" he asked, wanting some way to thank Kiku for his kindness to Italia. He had long since become comfortable with Kiku and truly believed that the man was not a threat to Italia. "I think Chibitalia would like your company!"

"I would not like to impose," Kiku replied.

"No imposition," Arthur said. "Please stay!" And so Kiku enjoyed a pleasant day and meal with The Three Fae with Chibitalia dressed in the pretty kimono and hugging both cat toys. Kiku reflected that, sometimes, his task had its pleasant moments.

* * *

 _Two Years later..._

Kiku approached the house in the Kingdom of Bulgaria to give the information to the house's occupier that Natalya's minions on the move. He was the only one who knew the location of The Three Fae and Prince Feliciano but only Kiku knew that.

He knew everything!

He knocked on the door and a black-haired, green-eyed man answered. Kiku knew that this was Aleksander of the Drakon, dragon-shifter and lover of the Fae, Vladimir of the Drakulya Line. Kiku bowed.

"Forgive the intrusion," he apologised. "I have news of Natalya's movements." Aleksander looked around to see if anyone was about and waved for Kiku to enter the house.

"What have you heard?" Aleksander asked after offering Kiku refreshment which he refused and Kiku sat down.

"I heard a rumour that Natalya is sending minions to Rome," Kiku replied. "To search for the Missing Prince of Italy. If the young prince is there, I would hate for him to fall into her hands."

"Indeed!" Aleksander agreed, thinking that he needed to get this information to Vladimir, that he and the other Fae needed to get Prince Feliciano out of Rome quickly. "Do you know when?"

"I heard that they were seven days away," Kiku replied. "That was two days ago."

So they only had five days to move! Aleks needed to get the information to The Three Fae fast.

"Thank you!" Aleks said. "Anything information on Natalya's actions is very welcome. Anything else you hear, I'd like to know about!"

"Hai!" Kiku agreed and stood. "If I hear anything more, I will tell you." He bowed and left. As Kiku walked away he looked back in time to see a white dragon take to the skies and smiled.

* * *

Kiku had arrived back at his little house when Lukas and Vladimir came out of theirs in a state of urgency. They locked the door and as they turned, they saw Kiku and Lukas approached him.

"I have a favour to ask, Kiku," he said. "We have to find Arthur and Chibitalia quickly. If they return before we find them, please tell them not to leave again!" Kiku bowed.

"Hai!" Kiku agreed. Lukas thanked him and he and Vladimir left to find them, leaving Kiku to guess that they had been warned about Natalya and went inside his house because he knew when they would arrive.

An hour later, Kiku looked out of his window to see Arthur and Chibitalia going to their door and hurried outside to catch them.

"Arthur-san!" he called and Arthur turned toward him, looking pale like he had just had a bad shock. Kiku bowed, politely. "Kon'nichiwa!" Then he turned to the five year old.

"Kon'nichiwa, Chibitalia," he greeted. Chibitalia smiled and waved. Kiku turned back to Arthur.

"Your brothers are looking for you," Kiku told Arthur. "It sounded most urgent! They asked me to tell you to stay home if they should not find you." Arthur looked a little concerned.

"Thank you, Kiku-san," Arthur replied, ushering Chibitalia into the house. She turned back to Kiku.

"Arrivederci, Kiku-san," she called to him. Kiku smiled at her and bowed again.

"Sayōnara, Chibitalia," he replied and looked at Arthur. "Sayōnara, Arthur-san!"

"Goodbye, Kiku-san," Arthur replied and Kiku turned and left as Arthur closed his door. Kiku knew it would be the last time he saw the family.

* * *

The Three Fae and Chibitalia left that night and Kiku left too, his task done. He returned to the Hall of Chronicles where his lover and fellow Keeper, Hercules awaited him.

"Everything done?" he asked.

"Hai!" Kiku replied as Hercules gave him a hug. "I've done as much as I can! How did things progress?" Hercules moved the book from its pedestal to one that stood by a mirror. When the book was set down, the mirror lit up, showing a grown up Italia meeting Prince Ludwig in the forest that The Three Fae had run to. Then Italia discovering her true identity and gender as Prince Feliciano and Natalya enacting her curse against him. Prince Ludwig and Natalya's battle, ending with Natalya's destruction and the kiss of True Love awaking Feli from the curse.

"It looks like things progressed just fine," Hercules reported. Kiku smiled.

"Now, it's your turn," he said. "Time to help the older brother!"

* * *

 _The Prince and the Pea..._

Hercules appeared in Prince Antonio's tomato garden in the palace in Madrid, cuddling a cat. He remained hidden as what he knew what was going to happen, happened. Prince Antonio and Prince Lovino were working in the garden, weeding and watering the plants but Antonio kept looking at Lovino. Hercules watched as Antonio approached Lovino and touched his shoulder. Lovino turned to face Antonio.

"Romano," he said. "Why are you trying to pass yourself off as Prince Lovino?" Lovino's face tightened with stubbornness.

"Because that's who I am!" he replied, adamantly. Antonio looked frustrated.

"If that's true," Antonio pressed. "Where have you been all this time and why reveal yourself now?" Hercules already knew the story but that did not stop him from listening.

"I was taken by Natalya, the Dark Sorceress, and change into her pet crow," Hercules could see that Lovino was happy to tell someone about his past. "I became human again when she was defeated." Antonio mulled over what Lovino had said.

"It's been over a month since Natalya was destroyed," Antonio still sounded unconvinced. Hercules knew it would come a time when Antonio would believe that 'Romano' was Lovino but it was not now.

"I had to learn to walk like a human," Lovino remembered the days he struggled to stay on his feet for any great length of time, walking with the grace of a ten month old baby. And learning to speak. "And talk too." Antonio teetered on the edge of belief.

"I don't know if you're tell the truth or just a clever story," he replied, playing with Lovino's hair with his fingertips. "But if it is made up, please, stop now before you land in even more trouble." Lovino was getting a little unnerved at Antonio's actions.

"I'm not lying and stop doing that!" Lovino sounded like he had trouble getting his breath.

"Doing what?" Antonio asked as he continued to play with Lovino's hair. He took the curling strand between his finger and thumb and pulled all the way to the end. Hercules knew what reaction this would get and braced himself for the explosion.

Five, four, three, two, one! Lovino went a funny colour and a variety of emotion ran over his face, finally settling into trap animal mode.

"DON'T TOUCH MY HAIR, TOMATO BASTARD!" Lovino screamed, swinging round and ramming his fist into Antonio's stomach. Antonio doubled over and fell to his knees, gasping for breath. Hercules watched as Lovino ran from the garden with a look of fearful disbelief on his face. Lovino was right to be afraid as he had just punched the heir to the Spanish throne which carries the death penalty. If the Lord Chamberlain were to find out...

The Lord Chamberlain already despised both Lovino and Antonio.

Hercules waited for Antonio to catch his breath and stand back up again. Then he put the cat down and nudged him the direction of the prince. The cat padded up to Antonio and meowed

"Are you all right, Your Highness," he asked Antonio who looked up to stare at him. Hercules picked up the cat and stroked him as he looked back at the Spanish prince. " Please, don't be too hard on the boy, Your Highness. It was shock. Touching that strand of hair caused a reaction he wasn't prepared for."

"You saw that!" Antonio sounded panicked. Antonio was worried about him carrying the tale to the Chamberlain. If he did, Lovino was as good as dead!

"Don't worry!" Hercules replied. "I'll say nothing and nobody else saw. I shall be leaving soon anyway but before I go, do you want me to find Romano and reassure him?" Antonio was in two minds.

"Shouldn't I find him myself?"

"No," Hercules replied. If Antonio went after him, Lovino might feel under pressure and would never know if the feelings he had were real or obligation, "I think it would be better if he came to you. He'll need to trust you if you want his love." Antonio seemed shocked .

"What makes you think I want his love?" he asked, red-faced.

"Don't you?" Hercules just stared at him and Antonio did not say a word.

"I'll find him for you," Hercules promised. "Wait at the fountain in the inner courtyard. And, Your Highness …..!" Hercules knew that Antonio had ethics about messing around with those of lesser rank.

"If you love him, it's not taking advantage." Hercules began to walk away.

"Who are you?" Antonio asked.

"A friend but you can call me Hercules."

* * *

Hercules knew just where to find Lovino! Hiding in the dark abandon room, Hercules could almost hear Lovino wondering how long it would be before the guards came to drag him away. Poor boy! He had a hard time ahead but it would all come out right!

"He hasn't told anyone and no one saw," Hercules said. Lovino yelped at the sudden voice. Once again, Hercules's cat padded forward first and Lovino looked a little wary but considering that Lovino spent most of his life as a crow, that was to be expected. As Hercules walked out of the darkness, Lovino really became afraid.

"His Highness will not tell the guards," Hercules reassured Lovino who still looked suspicious.

"Who are you?" He asked with distrust.

"My name is Hercules Kapusi," Hercules replied. "I just came from the prince. He's worried about you!" Lovino snorted.

"Worried I'll hit him again!" Lovino said. "I don't know why I did that. When he pulled my curl … " Lovino went red as he remembered how he felt when Antonio touched his curl.

"It's sensitive," Hercules replied. "You were not prepared and just reacted." Poor Lovino still looked confused.

"What do I do now?" he asked.

"Just talk to Prince Antonio," Hercules replied. "He's waiting at the fountain in the inner courtyard." This was the turning point. Lovino had to meet Antonio or the whole story would fall apart. You could not have a romantic story without the romance!

"How do I know this isn't just a trick so the guards can catch me?" For goodness sake, this boy's suspicion was unbelievable. But, considering the boy's life up to now …..

"Because I could have brought the guards straight here." Hercules moved towards the door.

"Don't worry, Prince Lovino," he said "No matter how bad things get, they will work out in the end." Hercules went out of the door, followed by his cat and opened the portal and went through it. It vanished just in time before Lovino came after Hercules after realising that Hercules had called him Prince Lovino!

* * *

Hercules watched from a hidden corner as Lovino went to Antonio at the fountain. He watched as Antonio kissed Lovino and, for a moment, Lovino reciprocated and then he stepped back with a shocked look on his face, leaving as quickly as possible.

Yes, Lovino would resist for a while but the seed was sown. It was just a matter of time before it blossomed!

* * *

The book still laid on the pedestal in front of the mirror with Kiku watching Lovino and Antonio's story unfold in the mirror's reflection when Hercules sprang out of the book. Watching as Lovino was accused of treason by the Chamberlain, spared by Queen Isabella, the attempted murder of Lovino by the Chamberlain and the reunion with Lovino's family but Kiku was slightly confused by the lynch mob chasing the Chamberlain into the sunset.

"Everything as it should be?" Hercules asked as he came to Kiku's side.

"Hai!" Kiku replied. "Except who is the lynch mob? I'm sure they're not supposed to be part of the story." Hercules watched as the Chamberlain ran in fear from the screaming group.

"I don't know," Hercules admitted. "But they're not interfering with the Tale so I'm not worried. They don't like the Chamberlain, do they?"

"No," Kiku replied as 'Kill the Chamberlain' sounded from the mirror. "Ah well! Another task done!" And he turned the page to the next tale and it was his turn. He had to sort out a story about an arrogant albino prince and an oppressed young girl. This was going to be fun!

The book glowed and Kiku disappeared into it!

 **That's part 1! Watch out for part 2 next week (fingers crossed!) and watch out for Saturday and my Halloween story. A little tale called Please Take Me Home!**

 **Till then,**

 **Hasta la Pasta!**


	2. Pt 2

**This is turning out longer than I planned so this is turning into a multi-chapter and I apologise for being late with this chapter. Here's part 2. Enjoy!**

 **I don't own Hetalia!**

 _ **Hetalia Tales 5:5 : A Fairy Tale Job Pt 2**_

As Kiku disappeared, Hercules worried about his love because he knew this tale and how Kiku was going to approach it. If he did not come back maimed, he might come back hating cats and then Hercules might have to make a choice. Kiku or the cats!

Hercules remembered the day they met! Special sorcerers, born with ability to jump between worlds, were identified at birth and trained for their special tasks to maintain the worlds depicted in stories. It was argued that the people who created this stories could either sub-consciously see these other worlds, mistake them for ideas and wrote about them or they created these worlds with their imaginations. Either way, they were created but needed help to remain stable and that was where these special sorcerers came in.

Each sorcerer was paired up with a partner and given responsibility over a certain amount of stories as keepers and, as stories were created all the time, more keepers were needed and, when it was decided that Hercules was ready for his vocation, he was told he would be partnered with a Japanese sorcerer called Kiku Honda.

Now Hercules was not exactly anti-social but he dealt better with cats than people so he was not sure about teaming up with anyone. And then he met Kiku!

Whatever Hercules was expecting, it was not this small, unassuming man who bowed politely upon meeting Hercules. There was something cat-like about Kiku that appealed to Hercules with eyes that seemed to see more that they let on and his voice …..

"Kon'nichiwa, Hercules-san!" he greeted, his voice as soothing to Hercules as a cat's contented _purr!_ Kiku, to Hercules, was like a cat in human form, which was explained by the fact the Kiku's father was a half-neko, and Hercules fell for the quiet Japanese man hard.

Hercules turned the pages of the Tale that Kiku was over-seeing and hoped that he did not have too hard a time with Lucifer.

* * *

Kiku's mission did not get off to the best start. He arrived inside the manor and used his magic to change his form. Shape-shifting was simple for a sorcerer of his power and, knowing the story, he transformed into a mouse (strange choice for a part-neko) and began scurrying toward the stairs leading to Katyusha's attic room. It was still pre-dawn and the stairs were in shadow so in the dark, Kiku did not see the mouse trap and walked straight into it!

As it snapped shut, Kiku panicked. The only magic Kiku could perform as an animal was to change back into a human but he could not do that in a cage! He could only hope that whoever checked the trap would be friendly. Or, at least, not try to kill him.

* * *

The Grand Duke and Duchess of Austria, AKA Roderich Edelstein and Elizaveta of the Héderváry Tribe, with the assistance of Elizaveta's magic, arrived in the manor outside Katyusha's door an hour later as the sun rose. They would come to help Katyusha as much as they could before Roderich had to return to the palace to assist King Wolfgang with his matrimonial tra...ah hem! Prince Gilbert's birthday ball!

Elizaveta waved her wand and she and Roderich transformed into mice. Just as they were about to squeeze under the door, Roderich looked down the stairs to make sure that they had not been spotted and noticed the trap with its unwilling occupant. After getting the all-clear that Katyusha was fully-dressed, he scurried under the door and ran up to Katyusha. Katyusha, for some reason, could understand any animal that came from the fields so they could talk to her. It gave her the friendly company she lacked among her 'family'.

"Katyusha!" he squeaked. "There's a new mouse in the house. A stranger!" Katyusha turned to look down at him.

"Where?" she asked.

"He's in the trap!" Katyusha ran out of the door and down the stairs to the trap. Elizaveta and Roderich scurried down after her as fast as their four little mouse legs each could carry them.

Kiku heard footsteps coming down the stairs and looked up to see Katyusha running toward him. This was the person he was meant to help but that did not mean that she would react well to him and he would stand back until he was sure. Two mice ran up to the cage and Katyusha turned to one of them.

"Talk to him, Roderich," she said, opening the trap. "Explain to him." The mouse scampered in and up to him. Roderich, thanks to Elizaveta, could understand the animals he interacted with around the manor. Except for Lucifer! He was a whole different story!

"Don't be afraid," he told Kiku. "Nobody's going to hurt you. Katyusha's nice and we all want to be your friends." Kiku looked around at the other mice and at Katyusha, smiling down him.

"Really?" Kiku asked. Everybody seemed friendly enough and Roderich coaxed him to come out. Katyusha knelt down to the little black-furred house and picked him up.

"What's your name?"

"My name is Kiku, Katyusha-san," Kiku replied. He was happy to be out of the trap and among friends, though he was not happy be to so high in the air like this.

"Please to meet you, Kiku-san," Katyusha replied, questioningly as if asking if she had said it right and Kiku nodded. Katyusha smiled again and put him back down.

"I better start work," she said, standing up. "Roderich, explain the house to Kiku and don't forget to warn him about the cat." She hurried away and Elizaveta scurried to Roderich's side. There was something about Kiku, Elizaveta could not place it but there was something about him.

"Ever seen a cat, Kiku-san?" Roderich asked. Kiku nodded with a smile on his little mouse face.

"Hai!"

"Well, there's one in the house," Roderich warned. "His name's Lucifer and he lives up to that name. So watch out for him."

"I will. Arigato!" Kiku was not worried. Even ordinary cats would recognise the cat in him, even in mouse form. He should be safe enough.

Famous last words!

* * *

Kiku followed Katyusha down into the kitchen, unaware that unfriendly eyes had spotted him and was following him. Lucifer stalked the little black-furred mouse as Kiku climbed up the table to where Katyusha was preparing the breakfast trays for the leeches up stairs. A cat would normally be able to smell Kiku's neko heritage but Lucifer's sense of smell had been damaged so as far as he was concerned, Kiku was a mouse!

Kiku had to stay close to Katyusha so he climbed on to the table and sat on one of the trays. He did not realise he had sat on a saucer and Katyusha put a teacup down without looking and put it down over Kiku.

Kiku did not know what was wrong with him today. First the mouse trap now this! He did not feel ill but he was being incredibly clumsy. Huddled in darkness, he could only wait for someone to lift the cup.

Lucifer saw Kiku get trapped under the teacup and stalked after Katyusha as she carried the breakfast trays up to the bedrooms of her stepmother and stepsisters. He wanted that mouse!

* * *

Kiku felt the tray moving and he hoped it would not get dropped. After a little while, the tray stilled and Kiku knew it had been put down. He waited a moment and the cup was finally lifted. Kiku looked up at a horse-faced red-head. And almost deafened by the shriek!

Kiku ran from the screaming girl and wriggled under the door to get away from the noise and kept running. As he sped away, he suddenly found himself in a pair of paws and he could smell cat but the cat did not let go like he expected.

"You did that on purpose, didn't you," the screaming girl's voice accused and then another girl's voice, as unpleasant as the other one joined in.

"What have you done this time?" Kiku scrambled about to try and escape the claws that had him pinned but he was stuck tight as the red-haired shrieker said something about a mouse before a door slammed.

Kiku was still stuck under Lucifer's paws and was getting desperate. He was going to have to take his true form and have some explaining to do. He was about to begin the transformation when ….

"Lucifer!"

Katyusha's voice had a stern tone when she said the cat's name. Slowly, Lucifer's paws came away from Kiku and he ran before Lucifer could grabbed him again. As he ran away, Kiku heard another older woman's voice call her by the name Cinderella (ever since Katyusha had fallen asleep in the fireplace) from another bedroom and he realised that he had just landed Katyusha's in trouble.

* * *

Kiku was right about the trouble and Katyusha had been assigned more tasks as punishment for a 'vicious practical joke'. When no one was around, he took his human form and used magic to do some of the punishment chores for Katyusha. After all, it was his fault she got into trouble!

He need to get his act together and quick. If Hercules found out how many mistakes Kiku had made so far, he would never hear the last of it. His boyfriend only seemed to be indolent but, given an opportunity, he could rib people with the best of them. That was one of the things he loved about Hercules. He could always surprise you! When they first met, Hercules had seemed to Kiku to be sleepy and disinterested, although Hercules's liking for cats was most promising. The next thing he knew, Kiku was being kissed by the Greek sorcerer. The beginning of a long partnership, both professional and romantic.

The sour notes and screeching coming from the Music Room was joined by a knocking on the door. Kiku was joined by Elizaveta and Roderich as Katyusha opened the door to a royal courier, bringing an letter from the palace. They followed her as she took them to the Music Room.

They hid as Katyusha went into the room and her stepmother glared at her in irritation.

"I thought I told you..."

"I know," Katyusha explained. "But this just came from the palace." and she held out the invitation. There was a mad scramble for the envelope which their mother calmly won and opened.

"It's an invitation to the ladies of the house to attend a ball, given to celebrate the birthday of His Royal Highness, Prince Gilbert," she smiled. The stepsisters began dancing around and squealing with glee. Until Katyusha pointed something out.

"That means I'm invited too!" The sisters stopped dancing and began teasing her about dancing with the prince while holding a broom.

"The invitation does say," Katyusha pointed out. " _To the ladies of the house!_ " Her stepmother perused the letter.

"Yes, it does say that," she replied. "Well, I see no reason why you can't go." Katyusha's stepsisters looked horrified.

"IF you finish all your work before then," her step-mother continued. "And IF you can find something suitable to wear..." Kiku did not like how she was stressing IF and by the looks on Elizaveta and Roderich's faces, they did not like it either. Katyusha just nodded, sure that she could and make something suitable for a ball.

"Then back to work." The three mice scurried after Katyusha, secure in the knowledge that it was not going to be that simple.

* * *

After Katyusha finished her chores (with a little magical help from Elizaveta and Kiku but nobody knew that), she went into the attic and found a chest of her mother's dresses and put the best one on a tailor's dummy. Elizaveta eyed it critically.

"It's rather old," she commented. It was about two decades out of style and Katyusha had to agree.

"I know it's a little old-fashioned," she concurred. "But one or two adjustments should bring it up to date. I have this book on clothes here so I should get some ideas. I'll need a sash and …."

"Cinderella!"

"Cinderella!"

The stepsisters yelled up the stairs and Katyusha turned back to her dress and sighed.

"I guess my dress will have to wait," she sighed. "Coming!" Kiku watched as Katyusha disappeared downstairs.

When Katyusha was gone, a glow surrounding Elizaveta and Roderich and they grew into human beings. Kiku was not surprised, he had known about them all along.

"I wish we didn't have to do it like this," Roderich commented, brushing himself down. Kiku wondered what King Wolfgang would think if he knew what The Grand Duke and his wife got up to when away from the palace.

"I wish we didn't, either," Elizaveta sighed. "But we had no choice. I wanted to take Katyusha when her father died but the hag wouldn't allow it and she had the law on her side. And I was banned from seeing Katyusha although I don't see what the hag's problem was." The contempt in her voice showed her opinion of 'The Hag!'

'Cinderella' drifted up into the attic. Roderich pulled a face and made Elizaveta laugh by singing a silly song, making fun of the stepsisters. It made Kiku laugh too.

"If left up to her step-mother," Roderich commented. "Katyusha will never see that ball. She and her step-sisters will keep her so busy she won't have time to get her dress done" Kiku knew that was exactly the stepmother's plan as she never intended for Katyusha to go. He would help change that!

"Which is why I'm not leaving it up to her," Elizaveta replied, determinedly. "Katyusha will have a dress and she will go to the ball." Kiku scampered up to Elizaveta to play another part in the story.

"How may I help, please?"

"We need something for trimming, if you don't mind," Elizaveta smiled and Kiku gave a little bow. He knew it would ultimately be in vain but it was part of the story so …..

"I'll go with him," Roderich said. "Lucifer's still lurking about." Elizaveta turned Roderich into a mouse and Kiku followed him down into the family chambers.

* * *

Down in the dressing room, the stepsisters were complaining as usual, griping about having nothing to wear to go to the ball, throwing away a perfectly good sash and a pretty set of beads. Roderich nodded to Kiku and Kiku knew they were going to get those for Katyusha's dress. Kiku knew what was going to happen to the dress but it had to go that way for the story to proceed.

The stepmother ushered her daughters out with a promise to visit the drapers to get new things made and left the house empty. Roderich and Kiku ventured out of the mouse-hole they had been hiding in, looking round to see if the coast was clear.

"I'll get the sash," Roderich said. "You get the beads."

"Hai!" Kiku ran over to the beads and collected them in his mouth, dragging them toward the mouse-hole while Roderich went to get the sash. So engrossed in their task, neither one spotted Lucifer slink into the room and began to stalk the two mice until Roderich turned toward Kiku and his face turned to one of horror and he shouted.

"Kiku, look out!"

 **This might turn into three or four chapters so bear with me, I'll try not to make this story so long.**

 **KoonAgeroAgnis** **– I always intended to have some of Kiku and Hercules's romance, I've just been looking for the right moments to touch on it. I'm hoping to do more with with their love story so look out for that! ;P**

 **Normandy** **– Oh yes! I think as long as it doesn't derail the story, the mob can do what they like :) (and probably will XD)**

 **Maveriqua** **– Oh, I couldn't leave them out XP Yep! Giripan forever! ;)**

 **Kin of Norway** **– I hope I'm not disappointing you on that score! And they know because they've read the book, although Kiku may have missed a few passages if he didn't realise what a furry nightmare Lucifer was. Ah! The mob! (good times!) and you would know better than me if The Chamberlain got what was coming to him and giving my reviewers little roles is just my way of thanking you and I look forward to doing it again ;P**

 **Well, time to get a move on with these stories. Although I said I would not be posting my next story until it was finished, I decided to do so anyway (mostly due to the fact that I had nothing else ready) It's called Heaven Can Wait. I hope you check it out!**

 **Till next time,**

 **Hasta la Pasta!**

 **P.S. Pleas forgive any grammatical errors there might be. I've probably missed some, I always do!**


	3. Pt 3

**I'll start with Sorry! I had this written but I had to come out of it because of a glitch and when I went back into it, IT WASN'T THERE! DX It didn't save so I had to rewrite the chapter but it's done now so here we go!**

 **Enjoy!**

 **I don't own Hetalia!**

 _ **Hetalia Tales 5:5 : A Fairy Tale Job Pt 3**_

Kiku looked round at the evil looking black and white cat that was creeping up on him and ran for his life, pulling beads along with him in his mouth. What was it about this assignment that made it such a nightmare! He was scampering toward the mouse hole, the beads rattling behind him when, suddenly, he was pulled up shortly as Lucifer stood on the trailing beads and, before Kiku could recover, Lucifer stepped on his tail and pinned him.

Kiku looked around for help but Roderich seemed to have disappeared. Lucifer raised his paw, the claws extended and Kiku prepared to take his real form before Lucifer brought his paw down.

Suddenly, Lucifer gave out a pained yowl and the paws released him and he looked round to see a broom on the floor and surmised that the handle had hit Lucifer on the head. Then he saw Roderich scurried down a table leg and realised that Roderich had not abandoned him but had dislodged the broom to hit Lucifer.

Kiku took the opportunity to run to the mouse-hole with the beads while Roderich grabbed the sash and began to run after him. Lucifer recovered and began to chase the sash in the hopes of stopping and catching the mouse pulling it. Kiku willed Roderich to run faster and breathe a sigh of relief as the Austrian mouse raced into the mouse-hole. Desperately, Roderich pulled the rest of the sash into the mouse-hole just in time and the hole was blocked as Lucifer's nose smacked into it and got stuck. Roderich panted for a little while.

"I never want to do that again," he gasped when he got enough of his breath back.

"Hai!" Kiku whole-heartedly agreed. He was now plotting revenge against a cat with the devil's name as they carried the beads and sash up to Elizaveta.

* * *

Elizaveta was very pleased with the goodies that Roderich and Kiku brought back and she began to use the sash on the dress. Kiku took the opportunity to slip away, change to human form and slip back to his own world.

Hercules looked up as the book glowed and a stream of light deposited Kiku into the room.

"Is it done already?" he asked. If it was, Kiku certainly worked fast but Kiku shook his head.

"I need a break," he admitted. "I think I'm beginning to hate cats!" Kiku expected Hercules to look scandalized at such a statement but Hercules nodded his head with understanding.

"Lucifer?" he asked but it was more of a statement than a question. Kiku nodded.

"That's not a cat!" he replied. "It's a devil! I don't want to hate cats! I'm part neko, hating cats should be against my nature!" Hercules put his arms around Kiku and gave him a hug.

"Then let's revive your love of cats," he said, kissing his lover on the forehead. He lead Kiku to another room and when Kiku stepped through the door, he was immediately surrounded by cats. Meowing, rubbing against his legs and wanted to be petted by him. None of them were trying to claw him, chase him or eat him and he knelt down as one cat began climbing up him. He smiled as his faith in cats was slowly restored.

But was that because he was in human form? What would happen if he took mouse form? Would they attack him? He took his mouse form and held his breath.

The cats did not change. They could smell what he was and one cat rubbed his face against him and Kiku was secure in the knowledge that cats knew him, no matter what form he took. Lucifer was just abnormal. He took his human form again and smiled. His worry about hating cats disappeared over the horizon as he stood and went back to Hercules.

"Feel better?" he asked, picking up a cat that had followed Kiku and petted it.

"Hai!" Kiku smiled and Hercules reached forward and gave Kiku a kiss.

"Remember," Hercules said. "Lucifer is not a typical cat. These are." Hercules gave the cat his his arms a stroke. Kiku gave the cat a pet.

"I'm ready to go back now," he declared and they went back to the book room, followed by the other cats when they forget to close the door. After one last kiss, Kiku stood in front of the book as it glowed and he was swept back into the story.

* * *

It was just as well that Elizaveta worked on the dress because Katyusha was kept so busy, she never got a single moment to make the dress herself. Even on the day, the step-family woke up early and ran her ragged with preparations for the ball. She finally finished when the family were ready to go and waiting for the hired carriage.

Kiku watched as Katyusha wearily made her way to the window, opening the shutters to look at the palace, visible in the distance.

"I bet there's nothing special about it," she did not sound convinced to Kiku's ears. "It's just a royal ball. I bet it's really dull and boring and …." She sighed, "Perfectly wonderful." Elizaveta ran up beside Kiku.

"And you will see it!" she declared. "Come with me!" Elizaveta and Kiku lead her up to the attic and Katyusha's response when she saw the completed dress was everything they could have wished for. Elizaveta had even magicked up some shoes to match the pink, off-the-shoulder dress she had created for Katyusha. Katyusha was ecstatic.

"Quickly," Elizaveta ordered. "You must get changed if you want to catch the carriage." Katyusha gathered up the dress, beads and shoes and went to change.

* * *

Kiku really did not want to see this. He knew what was going to happen even though he knew that, with a little help, it would turn out fine, it was not something he wanted to see. He and Elizaveta watched as she ran down the stairs to catch the family before they left in the carriage. The step-sisters were horrified and begged their mother not to allow Katyusha to come.

"I gave my word," she said. "And I never go back on my word." Kiku turned his head away. This was it!

"These beads compliment the dress nicely," the step-mother complimented. "Don't you think so, Dellina?" Dellina looked at Katyusha with a snotty expression.

"No, I don't!" she huffed. "In fact I think... YOU LITTLE THIEF!" she screamed. "Those are my beads." Dellina ripped the beads from Katyusha's neck and then Angelika joined in and began ripping the sash, that she had thrown away, from the dress and she and her sister turned the once beautiful dress into a rag until, eventually, their mother called them off. After herding her offspring out the door, she turned and called back, mockingly,

"Good night, Cinderella."

After the door shut, Katyusha looked down at the ruined dress and then, with a sob, she ran into the garden.

* * *

Elizaveta was furious! After all her hard work and Katyusha was so happy but the two harpies had destroyed that happiness in seconds. She practically quivering in fury.

"Those bitches!" she cursed and ran after Katyusha while Kiku quashed a feeling of guilt. He followed Elizaveta out into the garden where Katyusha had her head on a weathered garden bench, weeping. Elizaveta climbed the bench and took her human form besides Katyusha and stroked a comforting hand on her hair. Katyusha looked up in shock.

"Who... who are you?" she asked.

"I'm your godmother, my dear," Elizaveta replied. "I'm going to help you get to the ball." Katyusha shook her head, denying that she was going but Elizaveta would have none of it, waving her wand over a pumpkin while singing a song that Katyusha recognised from her childhood, recognised Elizaveta from her childhood. At the end of the song, the pumpkin had become a magnificent coach. Some mice from the house came to stare at the coach and Elizaveta volunteered them to become the horses for the coach. One of them scaring the living daylights out of Lucifer which Kiku got a fiendish amount of pleasure from.

"All right, we need a driver and footman," Elizaveta said. "Kiku! Bernhard!" Kiku scurried up to her, followed by the family sheep dog and she waved her wand. Kiku knew she was changing them into humans so he concentrated on making the magic changing him into his original form. He found himself sitting in the driver's seat while Bernhard became a little man in livery stood by the carriage door.

Elizaveta teased Katyusha by pretending not to notice her ruined dress and Kiku smiled at them as Katyusha desperately tried to draw her attention to it. Eventually, Elizaveta put her out of her misery and magicked up a lovely blue dress and, on Katyusha's feet, beautiful glass slippers. Elizaveta urged Katyusha into the carriage with a warning to leave by midnight and Kiku flicked the reins and they were off.

The next few hours would change Katyusha's life as they reached the palace and Kiku was proud to be part of this. Bernhard climbed down from his seat at the back of the carriage and opened the door for Katyusha who stepped out and looked at all the royal servants, lining the stairway up to the entrance nervously and Kiku knew she was doubting herself, doubting she could do this. Doubting she should even be here. Kiku could not have her turning tail and running now.

"You deserve to be here as much as anyone," Kiku reassured her. "And more than some." Katyusha took a fortifying breath.

"Thank you, Kiku," she said and stepped forward with pride. Kiku watched her go up the stairs and disappear into the palace and he drove the carriage away to make room for the next carriage. When he found a place to park the carriage, he and Bernhard settled down to wait. He would not be needed again until midnight.

* * *

At three minutes to midnight, Kiku had the carriage back at the front stairway. He knew that Katyusha would appear soon and he had to get her away. He and Bernhard waited as the clock ticked down to one minute and she still had not appeared. She was cutting it fine as the clock ticked away and then began to chime.

Katyusha appeared at the top of the steps and raced down, holding one glass slipper in her hand as the clock struck the third chime. On the fourth, Kiku was pulling away and it raced down the road. He had to get them out of sight before the magic ended and they all regained their true forms or, in Kiku's case, change back into a mouse.

The sound of galloping horses could be heard as Kiku drove the horses to speed up through the forest and he knew that Prince Gilbert was following. He could not find Katyusha yet, it was too soon!

Kiku took the carriage round a bend, the trees being thick and there was a flash of light. The carriage changed to a pumpkin, Bernhard and the horses changed back to their true forms and Katyusha's dress became a destroyed rag again. Kiku used his own magic to become a mouse again and they ran to hide in the trees before Prince Gilbert and soldiers on horseback came round the bend and galloped off into the distance.

Kiku watched as Katyusha stared at the direction Gilbert had taken with a soft expression on her face and he knew that Katyusha was in love. Kiku smiled. Things were going just as they were suppose to.

Katyusha called Bernhard to her side then picked up Kiku and the other mice.

"Let's go home," she said and began walking in her bare feet.

* * *

When they reached the house, Katyusha immediately retired to bed, her feet sore and hurt. When Kiku was sure she was sound asleep and no one was around, he took his human form and cast a healing charm on her feet. Then he returned to his mouse form and joined the others to sleep.

* * *

Katyusha was surprised when she woke the next morning that her feet did not hurt but she was not going to complain. Because they were out so late the night before, the step-family slept in, giving Katyusha an easy morning for a change, finishing her chores quickly and having breakfast. She had a few moments of nothing to do so she thought about the night before and the handsome albino prince she had met.

A week later, Katyusha's stepmother rushed in from her trip to the village (she went there now and then to demonstrate just who was the grand family in the area because she knew the villagers hated her and her two daughters). Barking orders at Katyusha to bring her slug-a-bed daughters their breakfasts up, she swept up the stairs and into Dellina's room.

Kiku and Elizaveta were up in the Katyusha's room when Katyusha wandered in with a dreamy look on her face and she began to check her hair in the mirror. The two mice scurried up to her as she smoothed a strand behind her ear.

"Prince Gilbert's looking for me!" she said to them with excitement. "He could be here any minute!" Elizaveta looked very happy but Kiku knew it was not going to be that easy as he turned toward the door to see Katyusha's stepmother outside the door.

"Katyusha-san!" he warned. "Your stepmother!" Katyusha looked and saw her stepmother in the mirror and turned just in time to see her slammed the door shut. Katyusha ran to the door but it was already locked and Katyusha slid down the down the door and wept.

* * *

Elizaveta indicated that Kiku follow her and they wiggled under the door and down the stairs.

"We have to get that key," Elizaveta said as they reached the bottom of the stairs and ran down the hallway.

"Perhaps Roderich-san can help," Kiku replied. Elizaveta shook her head.

"Roderich isn't here," she told him. "It's just the two of us." Of course, he was! Kiku knew who he really was and that he was with Prince Gilbert right now. They were hopping down the stairs when there was a knock at the front door. Kiku watched as the Baroness hurried to the door, straightening her dress, too fine for the time of day, and she opened her own door.

"Your Highness!" she fawned. "Your Grace! What an unexpected pleasure! Oh! Please, do come in!" She stepped aside and Prince Gilbert entered, followed by Roderich in his role of the Grand Duke of Austria. The was a commotion about Kiku and he was shoved aside by Elizaveta as Dellina and Angelika came hurrying down the stairs, almost stepping on the two mice as they fought to reach the Prussian prince first.

Their mother called them over in a tone that was bright but said _Behave_ and she introduced them to the Prince and Duke but Kiku could tell that neither man was impressed. Then she herded them all into the sitting room. Elizaveta looked down at a table and spotted the key to Katyusha's room.

"You get the key to Katyusha," she said to Kiku. "I'll do what I can to delay them." As she hopped down the rest of the stairs and into the sitting room, Kiku jumped onto the table and pushed the key on to the floor. After avoiding begin seen by a soldier who came with Gilbert and Roderich. He began the arduous task of getting up the stairs.

After he reached the top, he had to rest. Moving a key in mouse form was exhausting and, when he regained his strength and was out of sight, he took his human form, picked up the key and, secure in the knowledge that no one could see him, ran back to the stairs to Katyusha's room.

Kiku hurried up the stairs but stopped when he was almost in sight of Katyusha's door. If Katyusha looked through her keyhole or under the door, she would see him so that was out of the question. He put the key on the stair and went back to being a mouse, resuming the now harder task.

Halfway up, Kiku had to rest again. While he sat, regaining his strength, there came a lot of screaming from downstairs and he hoped that Elizaveta was buying him enough time as he pulled his strength together and set off again. After another struggle, he finally made it to the top step and shoved the key over the last riser, climbing up and panting.

"Katyusha-san!" he called when he got his breath back. Katyusha's eye came to the keyhole.

"Oh! Kiku," she said, excitedly. "Oh thank you." Kiku put his little mouse paws on the key and began pushing it toward the gap under the door. A shadow past over him just as Katyusha shouted, "KIKU, LOOK OUT!" And he was enclosed in claws.

"LUFICER!" Katyusha shouted. "Let him go!" Kiku groaned. Not again! He swore that, when this was all over, he was going to do something about that cat. Lucifer hissed, sounding like a laugh while Katyusha disappeared from the keyhole and Lucifer began toying with Kiku. He allowed Kiku to escape only to catch him again and appeared to enjoy it immensely.

"Lucifer, let Kiku go!" Katyusha ordered. Lucifer ignored her and continued to torment Kiku, giving him little pokes with his claws and allowing him to escape for a few moments again, only for Kiku to find himself back in Lucifer's claws but, eventually, Lucifer became bored and raised his paw with the claws extended while Kiku prepared to take human form and then take care of Lucifer.

"GRRRRRRR!" At the sound of the growl, Lucifer disappeared and Kiku looked up to see Bernhard looking up at the window he had just chased Lucifer through. Kiku took a second to collect himself and then pushed the key under Katyusha's door. The door opened and Katyusha came out.

"Thank you, Bernhard," she said to the sheep dog. "Kiku, are you all right?"

"Hai!" Kiku replied. "But we must hurry! Prince Gilbert is here and I don't know how much longer Elizaveta-san can delay his departure!" Katyusha went to run down the stairs but she stopped, went back into her room and reached under the bed, pulling out a cloth bundle. She unwrapped the bundle and took out the twin slipper to the one she left at the ball so she could prove beyond doubt that she was the girl that Prince Gilbert had danced with and put it in her pocket.

Then she ran down the stairs followed by Bernhard and Kiku.

* * *

As they came to the main staircase, Kiku saw Prince Gilbert, Roderich and their entourage at the door about to leave although Roderich looked reluctant to leave just yet. The Baroness looked all polite but there was a hint of anger in her eyes, directed at her offspring and the stepsisters looked like they were about to cry with disappointment. He heard Katyusha gasp as she caught sight of her handsome albino prince and she began running down the stairs.

"Please wait!" she called and all eyes turned toward her. Her stepmother's with barely disguised anger, Roderich's with relief and Gilbert's with …. hope!

"May I try it on?" she asked. The Baroness stepped in front of the Prince and the Duke, trying to convince them that this girl could not possibly be the one they were looking for but they would have none of it. When Katyusha reached them, Roderich took her hand and lead her to a chair to be seat while Prince Gilbert called for the page boy with the slipper.

As the boy ran forward, he suddenly became airborne as he tripped over the Baroness's foot that she stuck out at just the right moment and the slipper sailed off the pillow he had been carrying it on, hit the floor and smashed.

Kiku watched the Baroness as she smirked but smiled himself, knowing that her triumph would be short-lived.

"What are we going to do now?" Roderich said. "We've lost the means to find your lady."

"If I may," Katyusha said but no one listened.

"Vati's going to be furious when he finds out," Gil replied, panicked.

"Excuse me," Katyusha called out and finally they looked toward her. "I think I can help, you see …." She pulled the second slipper from her pocket.

"I have the other one!"

Roderich smiled with relief, Gilbert was positively grinning and her stepmother looked horrified. Roderich politely took the slipper from Katyusha and gently slipped it on to her foot where it fitted perfectly. Elizaveta was jumping up and down with excitement in the corner of the hallway and Kiku could barely stop himself squeaking with happiness as, despite her stepmother's protests, Prince Gilbert swept Katyusha away to a life she deserved better.

* * *

Kiku had one last job to do before he stowed away aboard Prince Gilbert's carriage.

Lucifer was in hiding from Bernhard, feeling sorry for himself, when he saw that little black mouse running across the little secluded garden and hissed to himself. He was going to get that mouse this time!

He began to stalk Kiku, making sure that the mouse did not know he was there.

But this time, Kiku was fully aware of where Lucifer was and he turned as Lucifer leapt at Kiku who looked to all the world like an unsuspecting mouse.

Until he turned into a human, holding a cage as he caught Lucifer in mid-leapt and stuffed him into it. He held the cage up to his head to stare at Lucifer, who was glaring at Kiku maliciously, in the eyes.

"You've been a bad boy, Lucifer!" he scolded the cat who just hissed. "And bad boys are punished!" And he disappeared, taking the caged cat with him.

* * *

Kiku just managed to make it to the carriage before it set off and huddled in the corner with Elizaveta while Gilbert and Katyusha finally talked properly to each other. Roderich had gone on an errand to find the late Baron's man of business to arrange things and Kiku knew he was going to find out a few secrets about the late Baron's will.

Katyusha told Gilbert about how she managed to attend the ball and about her situation at home, Kiku could tell that the prince suspected something was not quite right about that but Gilbert said nothing for the time being.

When they reached the palace everyone got out, including Kiku but as the others went inside, Kiku managed to remain out side without any one noticing. When he was alone, he scurried to a secluded corner and became human again, holding Lucifer in his cage. The angry cat hissed at him.

"Stop that," Kiku ordered. "I know someone who will teach you to be a cat and not a pampered bully." Lucifer's ears flattened and he looked very sorry for himself.

Kiku looked up at a window where he sensed all the royals were meeting, smiled and walked through the portal home!

* * *

Hercules looked round from watching Roderich discovering the truth about Katyusha's father's will, the arrest of Katyusha's stepmother for fraud and, of course, Katyusha's wedding to Prince Gilbert as the book glowed and Kiku appeared with a very unwilling guest. Kiku held the cage out to Hercules as if he could not wait to get rid of it.

"Tell me you can do something with this?" he asked, giving Lucifer a disdainful look. Hercules smiled and took the cage from his love, looking Lucifer over and into his eyes.

"He's been incredibly spoilt." he delivered his verdict. "It's good to love your cat but this one got his own way far more than was good for him. I think a little behaviour training's in order but it will have to wait because I have to begin my mission." Hercules turned the pages of the book to the next tale.

"I have to assist in Matthew and Ivan's story," he said and looked at Lucifer for a moment. "Put him with the other cats for now. I'll be back as soon as I can." He handed the cage back to Kiku and kissed his boyfriend passionately before he stood before the book and disappeared.

Kiku took Lucifer's cage to the room where the cats were milling about. They all ran up to Kiku and rubbed against his legs as he carried the cage to the centre of the room. He knelt down, putting Lucifer's cage on the floor and petted some of the cats.

"Kon'nichiwa, my little friends!" he greeted, scratching ears and rubbing heads. "I have a new friend for you." And he opened Lucifer's cage. Lucifer crept out and Kiku stood up.

"Have fun!" he said and left the room. Lucifer breathed a sigh of relief now he was surrounded by cats. A pale coloured cat trotted up to Lucifer and sat down.

"I'm Larry," the pale cat said. "Who are you?"

"I'm Lucifer!" Lucifer replied with a smug tone. Then the other cats gathered around.

"The same Lucifer who tormented Kiku?" Larry asked, a little less friendly. Lucifer began to get nervous.

"I'm a cat," he replied, shakily. "Cats chase mice!"

"Kiku has cat in him," a tabby to Larry's right said. "He's has neko ancestry, you should have realised that!"

"Kiku's our friend!" a Russian blue said and Lucifer began to back away as angry cats began to creep toward him.

Kiku smiled as cat yowls sounded from the room. He liked to think he was a good person but even he liked a little revenge now and then. He would give it a minute and then go rescue Lucifer.

Maybe five!

 **Having written this twice, I was so glad to get it done, I almost gave up! Now I can get on with the Beauty and the Beast part of the story.**

 **To Maveriqua** **– Who names their cat Lucifer? Someone with wrapped tastes in names I should think! :P Fortunately, Hercules restored Kiku's faith in cats and it's Lucifer's turn to run! XD**

 **To ArtemisIsis13** **– I wanted to explain how Hercules and Kiku became Tale Keepers and how they came to work together and I agree! If it wasn't for Hercules, Kiku could have ended up hating cats DX but, fortunately, Hercules showed him that it was just Lucifer! I'm always seeing pictures of Japan with cat ears so the idea of him being a neko was born :3 And I'd say that Lucifer has a lot to worry about and as for Kiku! Well, revenge is sweet! XP**

 **To chanceoutof20** **– Lol! I know I sleep better! XD**

 **To takuya** **– Don't worry! Kiku got his own back :D I hope you do and I hope y ou enjoy them again! :)**

 **To Kin of Norway – That would be an interesting power, wouldn't it! :) But it's Kiku and Hercules's job to make sure everything follows the story so he had to do stuff even though he knew it would come to nothing! And you're not stupid! :( Did he? Good! And you're welcome! It was fun for me too and I'm glad you get a kick out of it XD Sorry this chapter took so long, like I said! Technology! DX**

 **And now on to the Beauty and the Beast bit. I think Hercules will have an easier time of it than Kiku! Let's see what he did behind the scenes!**

 **Till next time,**

 **Hasta la Pasta!**

 **P.S. Please excuse any errors! I wanted to get this out before I lost it again!**


	4. Pt 4

**Shorter chapter than normal but I haven't had a lot of time lately and I really wanted to get this up. And now for some bad news! I need to put this story on hiatus until after the New Year :( I'm sorry but things are going to be hectic and I want to get my Christmas story ready so something had to give. _Heaven Can Wait_ will still be going up as that's chapters ahead but I promise, this will not be abandoned and, should I find time, I will do some early work on this story. Please be patient with me and enjoy this chapter!**

 **I don't own Hetalia!**

 _ **Hetalia Tales 5:5 : A Fairy Tale Job Pt 4**_

Hercules appeared in the little village of Ville Bois, outside a building that was perfect for his use. He had already arranged ownership and just had to set up his 'bookshop'. It was for the benefit of one person! Matthew, the ten year old son of the local inventor and outcast, Francis Kirkland-Bonnefoy. The poor boy was having a hard time of it in the village with people thinking his father was mad, saying that he was married to a Fae who was looking for Matthew's twin brother, Alfred. The village did not believe in things like magic and the Fae so their logic told them that, if the Fae did not exist, neither did the twin brother.

So Francis was ridiculed and Matthew was pitied and that left Matthew feeling lonely. Hercules would befriend the boy and that would help Hercules set up the story that Matthew was a big part of. That being the quest to save a king.

It would be a long assignment, another ten years before Matthew and Ivan would meet and in the meantime, Hercules would get Matthew ready for his destiny. Subtly, of course!

* * *

The next day, the bookshop opened to the amazement of the villagers, not many people read but Hercules was waiting for a certain person. After a while, the door opened and a little blonde head with a curly strand poked around the door. The ten year old boy had violet eyes and a quiet manner that was evident when he called (quietly), "H hello?"

Hercules looked up to see young Matthew looking at the books in wonder and smiled at the shy boy who had yet to gain the confidence he would have in later life. Perhaps Hercules could help with that too.

"Good day, little sir!" he greeted. Matthew shied back a little and then came through the door completely, followed by a white bear cub. "My name is Hercules! What can I do for you today?" Matthew's shoulders came up as if trying to disappear and began to fiddle with the hem of his shirt.

"H hello! M my name is M Matthew!" Matthew stammered. "I I wanted t to look at the b books, if you p please, sir," Matthew's bear sat, waiting to see what the bookshop keeper would say. Hercules gave another friendly smile to the painfully shy boy.

"Look all you like, young Matthew," he replied, coming toward him and petting the bear. "What books do you like best?"

"I l like all k kinds," Matthew replied. "B but I like f fantasy b best." Hercules put a hand on Matthew's shoulder and steered him toward a certain shelf of books.

"These are fantasy," he replied and plucked one with a blue cover off the shelf. "I can recommend this one." Matthew took the book to look at the title, _La Belle et la Bête!_ He looked longingly at the book as if he wanted to open it and devour the contents right there but he looked up at Hercules, sadly.

"I would l love to have the b book," he admitted. "B but I don't have e enough m money for it." He went to give the book back but Hercules pushed the book back into Matthew's hands.

"I loan books too," he replied. "Bring it back when you've finished it." Matthew's face lit up and he hugged the book to his chest.

"Oh, thank you!" he exclaimed, not noticing that the stammer was not there but Hercules noticed. Matthew had taken a step toward being more confident.

"You're welcome, Matthew," Hercules said, picking up a cat that had come curling round his legs and petting him. Matthew moved toward the door and opened it but before he left, he turned back to Hercules.

"Thank you again, Hercules!" he said. "Goodbye!"

"Goodbye, Matthew!" Hercules replied and looked down at the bear. "Goodbye, Kumajirou!"

Matthew was half-way home before he tried to remember if he had even told Hercules Kumajirou's name.

* * *

Hercules continued to stroke the cat as he watched Matthew and Kumajirou walked back through the village. He scratched the cat's ears and said,

"It's a start!"

* * *

Once he was completely settled, Hercules took his first 'trip' out of the village. What he actually did was went back to his own world to start Lucifer's behavioural retraining and raised an eyebrow at the scratches and bites he had all over him.

"The other cats did not take to him," was all that Kiku would say.

One of the first things Hercules discovered was Lucifer's damaged olfactory nerves, which was why he could not tell that Kiku had neko in him and why he tried to attack Kiku when he was pretending to be a mouse. Once he was healed, Lucifer could detect the cat in Kiku and was always around Kiku as if he was trying to apologise but it freaked Kiku out.

What was a bigger challenge was Lucifer's spoilt nature! Hercules fed his cats at specific times but Lucifer expected food when he wanted it and immediately. Boy, did he yowl when he did not get it! The only thing Hercules could do was not give in to him until he realised that yowling would not do any good and then there was the other problem. Integrating Lucifer with the other cats who really did not like him. For this, he enlisted Kiku's help.

"Could you use your neko abilities to get the other cats to play nice with Lucifer?" he asked Kiku who grimaced slightly. "I know you have no reason to like Lucifer but it would help change his behaviour if he had friends or, at least, not surrounded by enemies!" Kiku sighed and nodded. He had some ability to communicate with cats if he really concentrated so, for Hercules, he would get the other cats to try and mend fences with Lucifer. Hercules gave a smile and gave Kiku a kiss.

"Thank you!" he said. "I should get back to the Tale. Don't give feed Lucifer until you feed the others. I'm trying to teach him that he can't have things on demand!"

"Hai!" Kiku replied and they kissed again. Then Hercules went to the book and disappeared. Kiku sighed and went to the cat room.

* * *

Hercules looked up as his shop door opened and fifteen year old Matthew came through the door with a thunderous expression on his face. Gone was the shy young boy that stammered his request to look at the books. He had more confidence now, his stammer had all but vanished and he would stand up for himself and his family which was what Hercules suspected had put that angry look on Matthew's face.

"Hello, Matthew," Hercules greeted as Kumajirou came up to be petted by Hercules. "You don't look happy."

"I hate this village!" Matthew declared, vehemently. "I hate the people and I hate Luciano's bullies!" Luciano and his gang had arrived in the village just before Francis and Matthew and now they unofficially ran the village. They either charmed or intimidated the other villagers but neither Hercules or Matthew were impressed by either approach.

"Ahh!" Hercules replied. "And what have they done to put you into such a bad mood?"

"They've been saying Papa's insane!" Matthew blurted. "And that Dad doesn't exist and Alfie's just a imaginary brother that I made up when I was a kid. Nothing that anyone else in this village hasn't said but they're the worst for it! Why does nobody believe me?"

"I do!" Hercules said. "Just as I believe your Dad will find your brother some day. Ignore them! Always remember that you know the truth! Now, how can I help improve your mood?" Matthew sighed.

"I'd like a new book but I don't have the money to buy one right now," Matthew replied with a slight blush. Hercules smiled.

"You can borrow one," he said. "Take your choice!" Matthew gave him a grateful smile and searched the shelves, finally picking one and showing it to Hercules.

"Ahh, revisiting a classic, I see," Hercules commented as he read the title _La Belle et la Bête!_ "Enjoy it and don't listen to Luciano's thugs!" Matthew smiled, thanked Hercules and he and Kumajirou left the shop. Hercules watched as they went up the street and then he saw Luciano watching them too, a look of obsession on his face as he stared at Matthew as he walked away.

In another five years, everything would begin to come together.

* * *

 _Five years later ….._

Hercules was aware that everyone was singing but no one else thought anything weird of it and, for Hercules, it was rather fun to watch. Then he saw Matthew, unaware he was singing, making his way to the shop.

"Hello, Matthew," he greeted as Matthew came in and he scratched Kumajirou behind his ears.

"Hello, Hercules," Matthew replied. "I came to return the book I borrowed." And he handed back a book with a green cover.

"Finished it already!"

"I couldn't put it down. Have you got anything new?"

"Not since yesterday."

"Okay," Matthew looked at the books on one of the shelves. "I'll borrow... this one." and he picked _La Belle et la Bête_ from the shelf.

"You've read this twice already!"

"It's my favourite," Matthew said. "Far off places, magic spells, a prince under curse!"

"If you like it that much, it's yours." Hercules had always intended to give Matthew the book but he had to wait until this moment.

"But I can't..." Matthew was reluctant to accept such an expensive gift.

"I insist!"

"Oh thank you!" Matthew clutched his book and left the bookshop with Kumajirou in tow. As he walked back through the village, both the villagers and Matthew singing again, Hercules saw Luciano waylay him and they exchanged words as Luciano tried to get Matthew to accompany him. Luciano had romantic intentions toward Matthew that were not returned and they were soon joined by Luciano's twin, Flavio who clearly said something Matthew did not like because Matthew got angry with him and Luciano slapped Flavio around the head. More might have been said but then there was a boom and a plume of smoke shooting into the air and Matthew ran off in its direction while Luciano and Flavio began laughing.

It was beginning!

 **So we've had a little bit of Hercules's history with Matthew and a little of Lucifer's retraining. _La Belle et la Bête!_ is French for Beauty and the Beast, I just couldn't resist that! XPI am sorry about the hiatus :( It's the first time I've had to resort to this but I promise, once New Year is out of the way, I will be back to this and, with any luck, I'll have a Christmas story ready to put up on Christmas Eve.**

 **To chanceoutof20** **– Nor can I! :) I'll make sure he's there for you!**

 **To takuya** **– Thank you so much! I could never make Kiku hate his little kitties :) , he knows that it just Lucifer! :( Kiku's still a cat-lover! :3**

 **To Maveriqua** **– Yes, revenge is sweet for Kiku XP And I'm looking forward to writing that bit, it's going to be fun! XD**

 **Well, that's that for now! I'll be back on Thursday with _Heaven Can Wait_ and, hopefully with my Christmas story (TBA) and I'll be back with this after New Year! Cast Iron Promise! **

**Till then,**

 **Hasta la Pasta!**


	5. Pt 5

**YES! I'm back as promised! Christmas was crazy but now that the madness is over, I can get back to this story and here we go! Hope you enjoy!**

 **I do not own Hetalia!**

 _ **Hetalia Tales 5:5 : A Fairy Tale Job Pt 5**_

Francis had no idea that he was being observed as he heaved his new invention on to the cart with Matthew's help and then follow him as he began his journey through the woods. Hercules kept far enough back to avoid being seen as Francis made his way to the fork in the road as paused to decide which direction to take. As he deliberated between the clear path and the foggy, creepy one, Hercules willed Francis to take the foggy path. It was not something he would usually want someone to do but it was necessary if this story was going to proceed. He breathed a sigh of relief when Francis turned his horse in the creepy direction.

Hercules knew that, back in the village, Luciano was going to try to get Matthew to marry him but he knew Matthew could handle it. Hercules had to oversee this part as the path got creepier and creepier and the wolves began howling. He watched as Francis's horse, Pierre, panicked and threw Francis from the cart and galloped past Hercules. The wolves began to close in on Francis, ignoring Hercules while Francis ran blindly in the direction of the castle, deep in the woods.

As Francis shot through the gates, slamming them shut on the wolves, Hercules left through a portal, a little guilty about what Francis was about to face but secure in the knowledge that, so far, everything was going just as it should.

* * *

A word from Kiku had helped the other cats, well, not exactly like Lucifer but they tolerated him and Lucifer had now learnt to wait for his food with the others and no amount of yowling would get it to him any sooner. Even Kiku was tolerating Lucifer's presence and was beginning to be able to communicate with Lucifer now he was no longer a part of the Cinderella Tale. Kiku could not communicate with cats within the Tales which was why he could not tell Lucifer what he really was but Lucifer was so spoilt Kiku was not sure Lucifer would have listened anyway. Lucifer's attitude had altered greatly now and he was not so self-centred as he used to be so things were relatively peaceful, much to Hercules's delight.

"How are things in the Tale?" Kiku asked, bringing tea for both Hercules and himself. Hercules accepted the cup Kiku handed to him.

"Going well," Hercules replied, sipping the tea. "Francis has gone into the castle and Luciano should be giving his ill-fated proposal to Matthew about now. After that, Matthew will learn that something has happened to Francis."

"Trying times ahead," Kiku commented. "When are you needed again?"

"Not until Luciano contacts the asylum keeper," Hercules replied. "But I want to look in to make sure things are going as they should. There are many things that can go wrong so I want to be there to put things right."

"You've grown fond of Matthew!" Kiku said. Hercules smiled at Kiku's observation.

"Like you were fond of Feliciano," he replied. "Like Matthew, he was a child when you met him. Children always affect us more than the adults and I want to be sure Matthew's Tale goes the way it should."

"I'm sure it will!" Kiku replied, confidently.

* * *

Hercules watched from the shadows of the overgrown courtyard as the white beast that was Ivan dragged Francis across to the wheel-less carriage that sat waiting for him.

"Please, let my son go!" Francis plead. "Matthew's done nothing, please don't take him from me!"

"Your son is no longer your concern," Ivan replied, coldly and threw Francis into the carriage. "Take him to the village!" Hercules watched as the carriage walked, crab-like, away. Ivan went back into castle and Hercules could see Matthew looking out of the barred window of his subterranean cell, crying as his father was carried away from him.

* * *

Hercules followed in shadow, unnoticed by the castle inhabitants, as Ivan collected Matthew from the dungeons and lead him through the castle while, Yao, the Chinese lantern that Ivan carried in his hand, tried to encourage him to make conversation with the young man who was less than happy to be there. It was an awkward conversation, most of it by Ivan. The only time Matthew contributed was to ask why he was not allowed in the West Wing. Hercules winced when Ivan snapped back that it was forbidden. 'Not the way to win over your soul mate, Ivan' he thought.

They reached the room Ivan was taking Matthew to and Yao pushed Ivan into invite Matthew to dinner but Ivan did not seem to know the meaning of the word 'invite'.

"You will join me for dinner!" he ordered. "That's not a request!" And shut the door behind Matthew. Once again, Hercules winced. Ivan was not going to win his soul mate that way.

* * *

"I worry about Ivan," Hercules said to Kiku after he returned to the book hall as Kiku put some of the other books from their other assignments on the shelves.

"Things not going well?" Kiku asked as he put another book on the shelf.

"His idea of wooing needs a lot of work," Hercules commented. "Right now, Matthew won't entertain any idea of getting close to him and I can honestly say I don't blame him!"

"Ivan's spent thirty years with an unbeating heart, has he not?" Kiku asked. "I think that might explain his behaviour. Now his heart is beating again, I'm sure he'll begin to act better."

"I hope so!"

* * *

Hercules sat in the bookshop, looking out of the window at the tavern to the cart outside. An enclosed cart with a single door with a barred window and _Le_ _Maisons_ _des_ _Loons_ painted on the side. So the asylum keeper had shown up! Luciano had been grousing about Matthew turning down his proposal and humiliating him in front of the whole village, vowing that Matthew would be his, by fair means or foul. And it looked like he was going for foul!

Hercules left the shop and went into the tavern, finding a dark, discreet corner to sit in as he saw Luciano sat across from the Russian asylum keeper, Viktor Braginsky as he outlined his plan to have Viktor throw Francis into the asylum for his insane claims of being married to a creature that did not exist who was looking for a mythical son unless Matthew agreed to marry him. Viktor agreed to aid Luciano and Hercules decided it was time to get Matthew a helping hand. He left the tavern and opened a portal to see a particular person.

* * *

King Romulus had no idea that he was being watched from the corner of his chambers as he moved to pour himself a goblet of wine. He thought about his missing grandchild, Ludwig and Feliciano's daughter who would be thirteen now. He had felt the pain of losing a child to kidnap himself. His eldest son, Lovino, had been taken and remained missing for seventeen years.

"Your Majesty!" Hercules called out. Romulus turned toward him and then looked around the room.

"How did you get in here?" the King demanded.

"I walked in," Hercules replied, cuddling the cat he was carrying. "Your Majesty, the man you seek, the one who kidnapped your eldest son! You can find him in a village called Ville Bois, thirty miles south of Lyon in the Kingdom of France."

"Are you sure it's the same man?" Romulus demanded. After all this time, mistakes could be easily made

"Luciano Maestri! Yes, I'm sure, Sire," Hercules assured him. "Although you may be surprised when you hear the man's real name." Yes indeed, Romulus was going to be very surprised!

"What do you mean?"

"You'll soon see," Hercules scratched his cat behind the ears. "But you must catch him soon, Your Majesty, before it's too late!" Romulus went immediately to the door.

"Get me the Captain of the Guard," he ordered the guard outside. Behind him, Hercules opened another portal and left King Romulus to it

* * *

Arthur had had a productive journey to the New World. He had his first solid lead on Alfred from a nearby orphanage that had taken in an eight year old boy answering Alfred's description, a little over eight years earlier. Three years ago, he and two others ran away and they suggested Arthur try the docks. After talking to a few ship captains in a dockside tavern, Arthur found one who had signed Alfred on as a cabin boy and the other two as crew, sailing to Italy where all three jumped ship. So it looked like Arthur was returning Italy.

Hercules was waiting for Arthur to leave the tavern, watching from a corner with his cream coloured cat, Larry in his arms. It was vital that Arthur return to his family if things were to go the way they should and to bring Matthew and Ivan their happily ever after.

The tavern door opened and Arthur stepped out. Hercules followed him until they were away from others before he called out ….

"Your Excellency!"

Arthur turned and approached him, his green eyes filled with curiosity at being hailed by a complete stranger.

"Hello, Arthur of the Kirkland Clan," Hercules said. Arthur's large eyebrows rose at the idea that this stranger knew who he was.

"You know me, sir," he replied. "Who might I have the pleasure of addressing?"

"My name is Hercules Kapusi," Hercules introduced himself. "I'm afraid I bring bad tidings."

"What tidings?" Arthur sounded worried.

"Your other son, Matthew has disappeared," Hercules informed him. "Your husband, Francis, mentioned a castle and Matthew has not been seen since."

"I can't..." Arthur sounded panicked. "I can't lose another son."

"I don't believe your son is at risk where he is," Hercules wanted to put Arthur's mind at rest because Matthew was in no danger from Ivan. "But trouble is brewing. Both your husband and son need you."

"Yes," Arthur nodded. "Thank you, my friend. Anything you wish is yours if it's in my power."

"I required nothing," Hercules replied. _'Nothing but a happy ending' "_ Go to your family." Arthur nodded and smiled, producing his wand. A green light formed a cocoon around Arthur and he vanished as he teleported to France. Hercules smiled. Arthur was on the way back and it was time for Hercules to look in on Matthew and Ivan.

* * *

He had to duck during the snowball fight that was going on between Ivan and Matthew and he was pleased to see that things between the two had improved. He had caught up on events by listening to the gossip in the castle. Ivan had apparently had a monumental fit when Matthew invaded the West Wing and almost unknowingly tampered with the wilting sunflower that was the clock counting down the time they had left to break the curse on Ivan and the castle inhabitants. Ivan scared the poor boy into running into the woods where he became surrounded by wolves, only to be saved by Ivan. Since then, they had been growing close, with Ivan gifting his library to Matthew in which they now sat while Matthew sipped cocoa. Matthew talked about his family and inadvertently told Ivan about his and revealed the fate of Ivan's sister, the Dark Sorceress Natalya but also informed Ivan that his older sister, Katyusha who had also been cursed by Natalya, had been found safe and sound and that she was married to King Gilbert of Prussia.

"I'll go find a book and I'll read to you," Matthew said, getting up while Ivan made himself more comfortable by the fire. As Matthew approached, a glow surrounded Hercules and he changed form, becoming a set of steps, leaning against the book shelves. The glow faded just before Matthew came round a set of shelves to look over the fantasy section.

"Pardon me, sir," Hercules said, rolling toward Matthew. "May I help you?" Matthew did not seem to be at all surprised that a set of steps was talking to him.

"Hello," Matthew replied. "I'm just looking for a book to read to Beast." Hercules knew that Ivan had not told Matthew his name because that would curse Matthew too and he began rolling to another set of shelves.

"I know just the one," Hercules said. "Seventh shelf up." Matthew thanked him and began to climb and he stepped on to Hercules gently and went up to the shelf that he had recommended. He spotted a familiar binding and pulled the book from the shelf. _Le Belle et Le_ _Bête_ _!_ Matthew came down as carefully as he went up, clutching the book.

"Thank you," Matthew said. "Oh, I don't know your name?"

"Hercules," Matthew replied. Matthew smiled.

"I have a friend in the village called Hercules!"

"What a coincidence!" Hercules would have smiled, had he been in human form. "But you better go. The master is waiting." Matthew hurried back to Ivan.

"Who were you talking to?" Hercules heard Ivan ask.

"One of the servants," Matthew replied and began reading.

Hercules took his human form and watched them for a while as they sat with their heads together as Matthew read out the story. He smiled, knowing that he would not have to worry about Matthew and Ivan.

He created a portal and stepped through it.

* * *

Hercules was not needed for the Tale now so he returned to the village to close up the bookshop and after he pinned a note to the door, saying that the shop was shut for good and he had left, he returned to his own realm.

Kiku was waiting for him as he appeared from the book with Larry and Lucifer immediately ran up to Hercules and curled himself around his legs. Hercules put Larry down and began petting both cats. Kiku brought tea as the rest of the tale played out in the mirror. King Romulus had sent his Captain of the Guard to the French Court for permission to pursue Luciano in French territory which was granted and Queen Michelle sent her own guards to help.

Arthur returned to the cottage to find it empty with Francis also missing as he went to get Matthew back and Arthur followed him into the woods to find the castle that Hercules had told him about.

Hercules and Kiku watched with dreamy looks as Matthew and Ivan had their 'date', dancing around the ballroom to Eduard's singing and their intimate moment on the balcony, leading to Ivan letting Matthew use his magic mirror to see his father and letting Matthew leave to save Francis, unconscious in the snow and Luciano trying to force Matthew to agree to marrying him by threatening to have Francis thrown into the asylum for ranting about a beast in the tavern. Matthew used the Magic mirror Ivan had given him to prove that the beast existed but Luciano, picking up on the fact that Matthew had warm feelings for Ivan, whipped the other villagers into a mob, imprisoned Matthew and Francis in their own cellar and went to kill Ivan.

Arthur met up with the soldiers and returned to free his husband and son and they went to help Ivan while, at the castle, a battle ensued between the villagers and the objectified castle inhabitants and, when Arthur, Matthew, Francis and the soldiers arrived, the castle inhabitants had routed all the invaders but one. Luciano had escaped the fray and found Ivan who did not fight back when Luciano attacked him until he realised that Matthew had returned and Luciano soon found he was no match for the beast. There was a tense moment for Hercules and Kiku as they watched Ivan dangle Luciano from a great height but breathed a sigh of relief when he did the right thing and did not drop him.

Matthew called out to Ivan and Ivan climbed up to him. Kiku went dreamy eyed at the reunion of the two sweethearts but gasped when Luciano stabbed Ivan but Hercules did not react. He knew what was going to happen as, despite his injury, Ivan saved Luciano from falling and Arthur magicked them both on to the balcony where Luciano was arrested for kidnapping Prince Lovino years before while Arthur tried to create magic in time to save Ivan but Ivan was dying.

Kiku wept a tear as Matthew confessed that he loved Ivan after Ivan said his final goodbye and the last petal of the dying sunflower fell. Hercules put his arm around his love's shoulder and whispered, "It will be all right!"

Magic rained from the sky and the castle and inhabitants began to change, beginning with Ivan as his body rose into the air and changed to human. And alive!

"Told you!" Hercules told Kiku and Kiku smiled. In the mirror, Ivan stood up and Matthew ran into his arms and they kissed as the others took human form around them. Yao changed from the Chinese lantern, Toris from a clock, Eduard from a teapot, Raivis from a chipped teacup, Feliks from a wardrobe and Mei from a duster. Even the footstool changed back into Ivan's pet cat, General Winter and Arthur was surprised to see that the glass dome that always covered the sunflower had changed back into Emil, the younger brother of his fellow Fae, Lukas.

After escorting the mob back to the village, Hercules and Kiku watched Ivan combine his now released magic with Arthur's to transport the castle to Italy, where Luciano, Flavio and the gang faced justice before King Romulus for the kidnapping where there was another shock. Luciano and Flavio were the illegitimate twin sons of Romulus's deceased older brother, Remus. Romulus decided to punish them by making them serve in the army for five years. After all, they were his nephews.

Ivan was reunited with his sister, Katyusha, and met her husband, King Gilbert, and his nephew, Prince Frederick, who he adored and was pleased to see that his sister was very happy with her life and happy to see her brother again.

The part that Kiku and Hercules were waiting for arrived. Kiku smiled as Ivan proposed to Matthew who happily accepted and Arthur and Francis gave their approval. When Matthew wished Alfred could be there, Ivan promised to help find him and reunite his Matvey with his twin to make his soul mate the happiest he could be.

The mirror faded on a kiss between the couple and Hercules gave a contented sigh that things had gone well but now it was Kiku's turn.

"Time for the last Tale," he said to Kiku who looked a little worried. "What's wrong, Kiku?"

"I have not read the whole Tale yet," he confessed. "I'm a little over half-way through. I'm concerned about beginning this Tale without the full knowledge." Hercules nodded, understandingly.

"You can begin the Tale," he replied. "And come back to read the rest when you can. You'll do fine, Kiku! I have faith in you!" Kiku smiled back at his lover and his confidence in Kiku's ability and Hercules gave him a soft kiss.

"Alfred and Natasha are waiting," Hercules said, encouragingly and Kiku moved to the book, turned it to the appropriate page and stood before the book. The book glowed and enclosed Kiku in light and sucked him into the final Tale.

The Tale of a girl with long, magic hair and a charming rogue and of a missing princess and a lost son!

 **And now we're going on to Tangled! I'm not entirely sure about this chapter as Hercules did not appear so much in almost half of the last part of the story so there's a little too much rehashing of the original story but I could not think of any other way to write it. Also I think I might have rushed it a little so I might rewrite this a little at a later date and I'll try to do better with the next chapter.**

 **To Maveriqua** **– He is, isn't he! :3 I believe you have the answer to why Kiku couldn't talk to Lucifer now. Kiku doesn't have the ability to talk to animals in the Tale itself. Roderich and Elizaveta didn't count because Elizaveta was magical and Roderich was her husband and, therefore, magically infused and Katyusha could understand the animals of the fields and Kiku was masquerading as a mouse from the fields which fell within Katyusha's ability. And is someone messing with the tales to make them go wrong? Hmm, an idea for another tale, I think! I'll give that some thought, thank you! :)**

 **To Normandy** **– There's no spell that can contain the cuteness of Matthew. Or Alfred for that matter! :3 Oh dear! Greece vs Turkey! You'll have to tell how that ends! O.O**

 **To takuya** **– Oh Thank You! :) Hope you enjoyed this chapter too!**

 **Now it's Kiku's turn! Let's see how he manipulated things to bring Natasha and Alfred together and get them to their happily ever after. I'll try to have the next chapter for next week, please forgive me if I don't have it ready!**

 **Till next week,**

 **Hasta la Pasta!**

 **P.S. There seems to be a problem with the reviews. They're haven't been appearing on the review pages since the 28th of December so if you want to leave a review, they'll appear in my email account but might not show up on the story review page. Let's hope this is fixed soon!**

 **Reviews still welcome! :)**


	6. Pt 6

**Hello again! This chapter is shorter than normal but I wanted to get this out but not be rushed like the last chapter (I must get around to rewriting that chapter) I hope this is better so enjoy!**

 **I don't own Hetalia!**

 _ **Hetalia 5:5: A Fairy Tale Job Pt 6**_

Kiku stood at the bottom of the cliff and looked up at the black dragon, roaring at its edge, just in time to see a sword fly up and bury itself in the dragon's heart. The dragon shrieked and tumbled from the edge and plummeted to the bottom, shrinking down to the size of a human before disintegrating, leaving behind a cloak that fluttered in the air before being impaled by the falling sword and pinned to the ground.

As Ludwig and the Three Fae walked away from the edge of the cliff, Kiku approached the cloak which glowed for a moment and then the glow was absorbed into the ground. Kiku knelt down and touched the ground and could sense the flower seed under the soil that now contained magic and a soul.

"Rest a while," he said to the soul in the seed. "Your second chance will come soon! Be patient!" He felt a pulse from the seed and smiled.

This was the start!

* * *

Katya crept through the darkness toward the hidden flower that had grown from the seed that she had stolen and replanted at the top of the cliff. She had to keep it secret because the Triple Monarchy was looking for the flower to save King Feliciano. The child he carried, thanks to the Three Fae, did not had a soul and would die if a soul was not found and Feli would die with it so the soldiers of the three kingdoms were looking for the flower that the Three Fae claimed contained a soul and it was the only thing that could save King Feliciano and his unborn child.

Katya did not care that the flower could save two lives. The flower was hers and it was keeping her young and immortal and she would not give it up for anything as she removed the woven leaf cover to reveal the silvery glowing flower beneath.

 _Flower, gleam and glow, s_ he sang. _Let your power shine_

 _Make the clock reverse. Bring back what once was mine._

 _What once was mine._

Glowing spores blew up from the flower and coated Katya. Her skin lost its sallow completion and smoothed out. Her hair regained the fullness of her youth and its rich reddish colour and she was back to being a young women. There was no way she was giving up the flower!

Sounds of people approaching reached her ears and she covered the flower with the cover, making it look like a shrub and ran to hide, swinging her bag as she ran, hitting the cover. It tilted and fell. Back over the flower!

From his own hiding place, Kiku made a flicking motion with his finger and, as if by an unseen hand, the cover flipped over and flew away from the flower, exposing it for all to see. Just at that moment, soldiers of the Triple Monarchy came into view and spotted the magic flower.

"We found it," their leader said, as if he could barely believe it. The soldiers carefully dug up the flower and carefully wrapped up the roots. Kiku watched Katya glare at the soldiers, carrying the flower away but powerless to stop them. As Katya trailed after them at a distance, Kiku smiled and created a portal, taking him to the palace.

* * *

The Norwegian Fae, Lukas of the Bondevik Line created a potion from the flower to transfer the soul to Feliciano's unborn child. It was given to a sick Feliciano who quickly recovered and a few months later, he gave birth to a healthy baby girl. The entire Triple Monarchy rejoiced at a birth instead of a funeral and everyone was happy.

Kiku looked down at the sleeping infant with her white blonde hair and blue/purple eyes that were hidden by closed eyelids with a smile but he was a little sad, knowing what was to come but took comfort in the fact that it would all come right in the end. He stroked the back of his finger over the sleeping child's cheek.

"This is your second chance, little Natalya," he said, gently. "I'm sorry for what is to come but I promise I'll be there with you soon." The baby gave a little yawn and Kiku moved away, disappearing into a portal.

* * *

The old woman climbed over the balcony of the Royal Chambers with the infant girl in her arms, climbing down the ivy clinging to the wall and, reaching the bottom, she disappeared into the night while King Ludwig appeared on the balcony with a weeping King Feliciano. It broke Kiku's heart but he had no choice but to let it happen, leaving two broken-hearted parents who would not see their child for another sixteen years.

That would be his last interaction with the reincarnated Natalya for a while. There was a little time before he had to look in on the other important figure in this Tale.

* * *

Hercules was with his cats when Kiku came back from the Tale, holding Lucifer on one arm and Larry on the other. The other cats began to gather around Kiku and rubbed up against his legs in affection.

"Everything going as it should?" Hercules asked as he put Lucifer and Larry down and both of them meowed in protest.

"Hai!" Kiku replied. "I have a little time before I have to help Alfred so I thought I would read some more of the Tale. I'm only a third of the way through." Hercules put his arm around Kiku as they went back to the book room. They took the book from the pedestal it was on and put it on an ordinary table and turned to the page bookmarked by Kiku and spend a few hours reading but he was still only just over halfway through when he had to returned to the tale.

"I had hoped to have finished reading the Tale before I went back in," Kiku said, a little disappointed with himself as they put the book back on the pedestal. "I dislike this lack of complete knowledge."

"It's best that you read the Tale carefully," Hercules replied. "If you read it too fast, you might miss details that could be important." He kissed Kiku on the forehead. "You'll be fine!" Kiku smiled and opened the book at the needed page. The book glowed and the light light pulled Kiku back into the Tale.

* * *

Three years after the kidnapping of Kings Ludwig and Feliciano's daughter, across the ocean in the New World, Frederick Jones staggered out of his local tavern, at the same time that, in an alley, a glow made an eight year old boy appear out of thin air. As he wandered through the streets, weaving left and right, Kiku waved his hand at some stacked boxes that suddenly tipped over and blocked the street that lead Frederick home, making him take another path and he wandered into a different alley where he encounter an unconscious child.

Frederick could not be called Father of the Year! He had put his own twin sons in the orphanage after his 'wife' (they were never actually married) died, leaving him with the responsibility of two ten year old twins. He immediately off-loaded that responsibility on to the orphanage. His wife had take care of them most, he was just not father material.

He stared blearily at the unconscious boy for a moment and went to walk away but Kiku stared at the man, willing him to turn back. Frederick paused, turned back and knelt down beside the boy and shook him. The boy groaned and shifted a little and Frederick shook him again.

"Hey, boy," he said, his speech a little slurred. "You all right?" The boy opened his eyes, looking up at him, bemused and then looked around him.

"What's yer name, kid?" Frederick asked.

"Alfred!" the boy replied.

"Alfred what?" The boy's brow furrowed as he thought.

"I don't remember," he replied in a panic.

"Where're yer family?"

"I don't know!" Alfred looked ready to cry. Frederick began to panic, he could not handle crying children, it was one of the reason he dumped his own kids at the orphanage. Then he thought the orphanage would be a good solution.

"Don't cry, kid!" Frederick said. "I'll take yer somewhere they can take care of yer." He took little Alfred by the hand and weaved his way toward the orphanage. Kiku followed them at a distance as Frederick took him inside and Alfred became Alfred F Jones.

* * *

On the Missing Princess's seven birthday, Chinese lanterns flew in the sky like they had for the past six years and Kiku saw a little white blonde head appear in the window of the tall hidden tower to watch the lights floating past and his heart melted at the sight of the smile on the little girl's face.

It would be a few more years before he could help her directly but now he had other things to do!

* * *

He managed to get more of the Tale read and he was now three quarters of the way through. Hopefully, he could find time to get the rest of it read but now, he was at the quayside in New York, watching three boys, two, fifteen years old and the other, thirteen. The thirteen year old blonde boy was going from sailor to sailor, asking about any ship heading for Italy. The two red-brown haired fifteen year old boys were more interested in trying to get into the tavern.

"Kon'nichiwa, young master," Kiku said, coming up to the teenage Alfred. "I could not help over-hearing you. That ship is heading Italy!" Kiku pointed to a ship named _The Freedom._ "I believe the captain is looking for crew and a cabin boy." Alfred looked at the ship and then back at Kiku.

"Thanks, dude!" he replied and ran off to talk to the captain and ran to tell the Jones Twins, Allen and Alex, that he had found a ship. Kiku walked away, knowing that everything was in motion now and soon everyone involved with the Tale would be in Italy and the Tale would really start.

 **There we go! Kiku did more than anyone suspected to get the Tale off to the right start, from making sure the flower was found to arranging for Frederick to find Alfred. There's a reason why Kiku doesn't know the entire Tale which will come to light toward the end of the Tale.**

 **To themusicalcat** **– Welcome back to the land of the living! :) And no problem! Yes, I felt that too :( but I will rewrite that chapter when I have a little more time and try to make it better. Promise!**

 **To takuya** **– Yeah! :D It's a little like those special features on DVDs that show how things were done in the films except this is with magic rather than technology. A lot of fun! XD**

 **To Maveriqua** **– Yep! Down to the last Tale for this :( but now the last Hetalia Tales. :) I've got one planned for after Hetalia Tales 6. Hope you enjoy!**

 **To Normandy** **– Congratulations on your victory! XP If eavesdroppers are making fun, they deserved to have you go 2p! Canada on them! XD They should be grateful it's not 2p! Italy (or should they?) Gaston's not one of my favourites either (creep!) And Snow White's stepmother freaked me out too!**

 **And that's that for another week (I hope) I've changed Heartbeat from a one-shot and added another chapter with Germany and Italy in two parts. Part 2 will go up on Thursday. Check it out!**

 **And after that piece of shameless story promotion,**

 **Hasta la Pasta!**


	7. Pt 7

**Here I am again and we've had two days with snow here. Followed by rain, of course :P Another shorter than normal chapter but I hope you enjoy!**

 **I don't own Hetalia!**

 _ **Hetalia Tales 5:5 : A Fairy Tale Job Pt 7**_

Kiku just looked at the fourteen year old girl who cowered on the floor, away from him, her long, _long,_ hair curling around the floor around her, as he flicked his little lizard tail about. He did not have a reason to take the form of a chameleon, it just struck his fancy and it enabled him to climb the tower to the girl that Katya had named Natasha but Natasha seemed terrified of him. He took a couple of little steps toward her and she gave a little yelp, squeezing back against the wall as much as she could. Kiku waddled up to Natasha and climbed on her knee to her hand that she had in her lap and she screamed when he gave a friendly lick to her fingertip and she squeezed her eyes tight.

Natasha kept her eyes closed and expected the little monster to start eating her at any moment. Her mother had told her of the world beyond her tower, full of monsters and evil creatures, nasty men with pointy teeth and rampant plagues so when the little creature had skittered through the window and into the room, she did not know what it was going to do with her and with that little lick, it seemed to be tasting her and now she was just waiting for it to grow into some large monster and start taking bites.

When she did not feel teeth, she opened one eye and saw the little creature was still a little creature and cocking its head at her, curiously. She opened her other eye and held out her open palm to the little chameleon who climbed on and she brought him up to her face.

"You're not going to hurt me?" she asked. Kiku shook his head and gave as much a reassuring smile as he could as a chameleon. "Mother says the world is full of monsters and evil people who'd hurt me if they found me!" He gave her a look as if to say 'And you believed that!' Natasha stroked his head and giggled when he moved his head to where he wanted to be petted.

"If you're not an evil monster who wants to eat me?" she asked. "Will you be my friend? I've never had one and I get lonely when Mother's not here. Will you stay with me?" Natasha was overjoyed when Kiku definitely gave a little nod.

"Well," Natasha mused. "What should I call you? I can't call you 'hey you!' so I need to give you a name."

 _'Kiku!'_ he willed her to say. _'Call me Kiku!'_

"I'll call you Kiku!" she announced and then frown. How did she come up with Kiku? She shrugged. Oh well! 'Kiku' nodded enthusiastically at the name.

"It might be best if Mother doesn't see you, though," Natasha warned. "She might not like you being here. She'll think you're dangerous to me!" The little chameleon nodded his little head,

Kiku was pleased he had been able to break through Natasha's mother inspired fear, it would hard enough to try to get Natasha to leave the tower and he knew it would not happen any time soon.

But in two years, someone would come to change it all.

* * *

"Today's a very big day, Kiku," Natasha said to Kiku. "Today I'm going to ask her. Do you think I should?" Kiku had been trying to get Natasha to leave the tower, even if it was just into the hidden valley that the tower stood in but Katya had done a good job on Natasha but the weak point had been the flying lanterns that appeared every year on Natasha's birthday, capturing Natasha's imagination of what they were and why they flew on that night of all nights.

And this was what Natasha was going to ask Katya! To take her to see them for her sixteenth birthday! Kiku was pleased with this sign that Natasha was willing to risk a journey outside the tower but he highly doubted that Katya would grant this request.

But she would leave the tower soon, Kiku knew that. He was just waiting for _him_ to come but first they had to deal with _The Mother!_

"Natasha! Let down your hair!" Kiku rolled his little eyes at the sound of Katya's voice. She was the last person Kiku wanted see because she always undermined Natasha's sense of self-worth and left her feel down when she left. Natasha went to the window and threw her hair over the hook in the eaves, letting the rest fall to the ground outside where Katya created a foot sling, put her foot into it and waited for Natasha to pull her up. This had been Katya's way of getting into the tower ever since Natasha had become strong enough to bear her weight.

"I don't know how you manage to pull me up every time," Katya said, with false sweetness as she stepped over the sill. "It must be exhausting." _'Then why don't you use that door you sealed up instead,'_ Kiku thought, almost spitefully.

"It's nothing," Natasha replied with honest modesty but Kiku gritted his little teeth as Katya began to chuckle.

"Then why does it take you so long?" she teased and Kiku hated it when Natasha's face fell. "Oh! I'm just teasing, you shouldn't take it so seriously." Natasha shook it off and tried to get her Mother's attention to tell her what she wanted for her birthday the next day but Katya was more interested in Natasha singing their _special_ song. Which, Kiku knew, was more special to Katya than Natasha.

Natasha raced through the whole little ritual of sitting her mother down and rushing through the song while Katya hurried to brush Natasha's hair in time for the youth magic to reverse her age.

"Natasha, what's wrong with you?" Katya demanded,

"Well, I've been trying to tell you since you came in," Natasha replied. "Tomorrow's my birthday! Tah-da!" Kiku did not like the look on Katya's face.

"Can't be," she said. "Your birthday was last year."

"That's the thing about birthdays," Natasha pressed. "They tend to happen every year and I know what I want for mine this year. I want you to take me to see to see the floating lights!" Kiku waited to see what Katya would say to that.

"What lights?" she asked. "Do you means stars?" Kiku did not buy the innocent routine but then, he knew that Katya knew exactly what Natasha meant. Natasha showed Katya a painting of herself watching lights floating in the sky.

"I've tracked the stars," Natasha replied, she was big on astronomy. "They're constant but these lights appear on my birthday. Only on my birthday, as if they're meant for me." Katya snorted.

"Can you hear yourself?" Kiku knew she was going to into her routine of the evils of the outside world to try and scare Natasha out of the idea of seeing these lights that Katya knew were being released by Natasha's real parents, Kings Ludwig and Feliciano.

"You know why we stay in this tower!" Katya caressed Natasha's hair, obsessively. Natasha's hair was the centre of Katya's whole world but Natasha was still naïve enough to believe it was her and Katya was not above using that.

"Yes, I know," Natasha replied. "But …." Katya cut her off.

"That's right!" Katya said, playing with a very long lock of hair. "To keep you safe and sound, dear. I should have realised this day would come when you'd want to fly the nest and leave me behind." Natasha tried to deny that was what she wanted.

"But not yet!" Natasha continued with a hint of steel. "Natasha, Mother Knows Best, listen to your mother, it's a scary world beyond the tower and something or other will go wrong, I promise." And it would, Katya would make sure of that!

"But mother, I only meant..." Kiku already knew that Natasha would lose this argument, Katya had had a lot of practice at beating Natasha down, verbally and Katya launched into rhyming off all the bad things that Natasha could encounter in the outside world and Kiku could see Natasha becoming frightened, imagining all the nasty creatures that could bite and kill her with poison, dangerous sandy places that could suck you down into the ground that her mother called 'quick sand' and the evil men. Ruffians and thugs that had sharp, pointed teeth and deadly diseases that stalked the land, making people drop like flies. Kiku shook his little head as Katya launched into Phase Two of her attack, a breaking down of Natasha's view of herself as Katya rattled on about Natasha's short-comings for surviving in the world.

"You're gullible," Katya rhymed off. "Naive, somewhat grubby, ditsy and rather vague. And I think you're getting kind of chubby." Kiku winced. The last thing Natasha was was _chubby!_ She was not any of the other things either.

"Oh! Now Natasha," Katya secretly delighted in Natasha's horrified face. "I'm just saying this because I love you."

 _'No, you don't!'_ Kiku thought. _'You love her hair! Well, you won't have it for long!'_

"I'm here to help! I only ask one thing!" Katya held out her arms for Natasha to run into which she naively did.

"Natasha!" Katya smiled and then turned stern. "NEVER ask to leave this tower again!" Kiku saw Natasha's face drop and she acquiesced. Kiku gave a little chameleon sigh as Natasha gave in once again.

 _'You win again!'_ he thought. _'Enjoy it! It's your last victory!'_ And he looked toward the window. He would be here soon!

In fact, he was due today!

* * *

Katya had finally gone, leaving Natasha to stew over what she had said and letting the fear sink in. Natasha tried to do things to distract herself but it was half-hearted. Kiku also tried to cheer her up but Natasha was still very subdue and down. Kiku had never hated anybody as much as he hated Katya in that moment. Not even Lucifer!

Although she was not hungry, Natasha went to make lunch for herself and Kiku while he pottered around, looking for something or some way to make her feel better. He still had no idea when sounds from outside the window reached his ears. Huffing and grunts of effort came closer and a hand appeared over the window sill, followed by a blonde head with a cowlick. A boyish face with sky-blue eyes gleaming behind half-rimmed glasses looked into the room and, with a final heave, he almost fell inside and took a moment to catch his breath. Then he opened the satchel that hung over his shoulder, just as Natasha came out of the kitchen to see what the commotion was.

"Alone at last!" he said to the contents of the satchel while Kiku could barely contain his excitement that this could be the one he had been waiting for and that he and Natasha were about to meet.

And then Natasha knocked him out with a frying pan!

 **Ouch! That'll rattle his brains! (who said what brains? XP) And Kiku thought things were about to go smoothly! Ahh! If only they did!**

 **To themusicalcat** **– You're welcome! :) I like to do chapters of, at least, three thousand words but this chapter and the last one have been shorter due to lack of time and things cropping up, hopefully I'll find time to make them longer! I know what it's like to have a few stories on the go at once and I hoped you find time soon (I know you've written some and I've already read Apathy. (a little story promotion for you) I'll try to get around to reading the others.) Kiku did put in a lot of work, didn't he. He had an easier time this chapter but with Alfred making an appearance, you can believe his workload is about to get heavier! ):**

 **To takuya** **– You wanted Natasha's little green friend and here he is! XD Yes, Kiku doesn't know all of Natasha and Alfred's story which will cause him problems later, trust me! :')**

 **And that's another one done! Kiku's mission is about to begin in earnest. Wish him the best of luck, he's going to need it! XP**

 **Till next week (I hope!),**

 **Hasta la Pasta!**


	8. Pt 8

**Let's see if Alfred survived getting his brains scrambled, shall we! Enjoy!**

 **I don't own Hetalia! Or Disney!**

 _ **Hetalia Tales 5:5 : A Fairy Tale Job Pt 8**_

Kiku rolled his eyes and groaned as the blonde man hit the floor and lay still while Natasha had not moved a muscle since she whacked him. Her possible saviour might have finally arrived and she smacks his brains into outer space. Great start!

Natasha gave an EEEK! and dashed behind the tailor's dummy she made her clothes on. She peered over it as Kiku crawled over to the unconscious young man. Natasha pushed the dummy forward to get closer to have a look at her victim. When he did not move, she became braver and stepped out from behind the dummy with the frying pan that she had hit him with held in front of her. Kiku watched as Natasha used the frying pan to flip up his hair to see his face and then used the handle to nudge up his lip to see his teeth. When she saw that they were perfectly normal, she breathed a sigh of relief and so did Kiku. Maybe she might trust the young man, just a little!

"Urrrgh!"

 _Clang!_

Maybe not!

* * *

It was amusing, watching Natasha trying to stuff the much bigger man into her wardrobe and he had to laugh at one point when she thought she had managed it but he fell out right on top of her. Eventually, she got him in and braced the doors shut with a chair and sat in it.

"There's a man in my closet," she said to herself and Kiku was pleased to see pride in that achievement lit up her face. "There's a man in my closet!" and she got up and did a little dance of victory.

"Too fragile to go outside, mother," she declared. "Well, not any more!" Kiku liked this burst of self-confidence, although it was somewhat marred when she spun the frying pan and hit herself in the side of the head with it. She gave a cry of pain and rubbed the side of her head then the satchel the man had been carrying caught her eye.

Natasha picked up the satchel and opened it, pulling out a golden hoop, adorned with shiny green and pink jewels. Kiku knew exactly what it was but Natasha was a little perplexed as to what it was. When she tried putting it on her wrist, Kiku shook his head and she took it off. Moving to the full length mirror that stood in the corner of the room and looked into it, then at the crown and she slowly put it on her head where it sat like it was meant to be there.

Kiku watched Natasha's face as she looked at the crown on her head, wondering what was going through her mind and what she would say if she knew that the crown had been made for her by her father, King Ludwig.

"Natasha, let down your hair!"

"Mother's here!" Natasha cried while Kiku huffed at the unwelcome intrusion. Natasha quickly whipped the crown off her head, stuffed it back into the satchel and hid it in a pot. Then she ran to the window, hooked her hair up and threw the rest down to her mother. Kiku hoped Natasha would not reveal the man's presence in her wardrobe because he did not hold out hope for his survival if Katya knew he was there.

Natasha hauled her mother up to the window who proudly announced that she was making Hazelnut Soup. She called it Natasha's favourite and never listened when Natasha told her that she hated it. Katya loved it so, as far as she was concerned, so did Natasha.

"Mother, about earlier …" Natasha began but Katya cut her off.

"Oh! You know I hate to leave you after a fight," Katya said. "Especially when I'm not the one in the wrong!"

 _Bitch!_ thought Kiku. But he was glad to see that Natasha did not seem cowed.

"I've been thinking a lot about what you said earlier..." she began. Katya gave a sigh of irritation.

"You're not still going on about the stars, are you?" Kiku could see Katya beginning to lose her temper. Natasha still tried to press her case how she could handle the outside world and her hand moved toward the chair that held the wardrobe close to show her mother how she had handled the intruder.

 _Don't!_ Kiku mentally begged. _Don't reveal his presence to Katya! She'll kill him!_

Natasha's hand rested on the chair and prepared to pull it away when Katya (fortunately) blew her fuse.

"No more about those accursed lights, Natasha," she snapped. "You're not leaving this tower, EVER!"

The finality in Katya's voice had Natasha's hand stalling on the chair and then letting it go. Kiku breathed a sigh of relief as the threat of discovery ebbed but the look on Natasha's face made him worry. It had fallen, her self-worth deflated and he was scared she had been beaten down again and Katya then put on an act of being the one hard done by to make Natasha feel guilty and re-enforce her hold over her.

But then, he saw her look at the painting of herself watching the floating lights and there was a hint of determination in her eyes. It was reassuring and he could almost hear the cogs in her head turning as she came to a decision.

"I just wanted to say," she said, putting a deflated tone in her voice. "That I know what I want for my birthday." Katya looked up with an irritated glance.

"What?"

"Paint," Natasha replied. "Made from the white sea shells you got for me that one time." Kiku remembered that paint, the shells came from a great distance and would keep Katya away for a while. But Katya knew that too.

"That's a three day journey!" Three days for Natasha to leave the tower for the city to see the lights and get back. Of course, that was not what Kiku had planned for her, he planned for her to leave for a better life, full of love and freedom with her real parents and the one destined for her.

"I though that would be better than the …. stars," Natasha replied. She figured that if her mother thought that would distract her from the floating lights, she might agree. Kiku could see that Katya was wavering but not quite about to acquiesce.

 _Agree!_ He willed. _Say yes!_

"Will you be all right on our own for that long?" Katya asked. Katya had acquiesced and, while Natasha just kept a small smile on her face, Kiku knew that, inside, she was doing her victory dance. Kiku himself could barely keep the smile from his face.

"I know I'll be safe as long as I remain in the tower," she replied, with deceptive angelic innocence. After putting together a basket of food and sing the special song at her mother's request, Natasha lowered Katya down to the valley floor and waved to her as she left the valley. Kiku was ready to jump up and down with excitement. The Hag was gone and Alfred was here, things were going great.

"He should know how to get to the lights, shouldn't he, Kiku," Natasha asked as she prepared to open the wardrobe. "He can take me and bring me back and mother would be non-the-wise. I really want to see those lights! Do you think I should do this, Kiku?" Kiku naturally nodded his head. Natasha grasped the chair and, after taking a deep breath, pulled the chair away and the doors creaked open. Then fell open and the blonde man hit the floor. With a lot of effort, she managed to heave him into the chair and then wrapped her hair around his chest and secure his wrists to the arms of the chair. Then Kiku climbed on to his shoulder while Natasha climbed into the rafters.

Once settled, Natasha nodded to Kiku and Kiku wondered how he was going to wake up someone who had taken two whacks with a frying pan. He gathered some of the man's hair in his mouth and yanked on it. No response so Kiku turned round and flicked his cheek with his tail a couple of times. Still no response and Kiku huffed. Then he saw the blonde's ear! He could not believe he was going to do this but he shot out his tongue and speared it into the man's ear canal. The taste of earwax was really unpleasant but it had the desired effect as the man suddenly came awake.

"ARRRRGH!" He tried to rub his ear against his shoulder as Kiku crawled down the chair and made his way up the rafters to Natasha while her prisoner stared at what he was tied up in.

"Is that …. hair?"

"You can't get loose," Natasha called out as bravely as she could as the blonde man try to get free. "So struggling is pointless!" The blonde stopped struggling and looked up into the rafters, trying to see who was speaking to him but Kiku knew they were both shrouded in darkness.

"I know what you want," Natasha continued. "And I'm not scared of you!" The blonde man just looked bemused.

"Huh?"

Natasha jumped down from the rafters with Kiku on her shoulder and crept out of the shadows with the frying pan held tightly in her hands, aimed at her captive.

"Who are you?" she demanded. "And how did you find me?" The blonde man just stared her in confusion, not saying a word and Natasha became impatient.

"WHO ARE YOU AND HOW DID YOU FIND ME?" she repeated in a steely tone, not knowing how creepy she could look when that dark aura fell over her eyes, raising the frying pan threateningly. Then he put on a cocky grin and seductive look.

"Hi there," he replied, smoothly. "How ya doing? The name's Flynn Ryder!"

'So what!' thought Natasha. That was not what she asked.

"Who else knows I'm here, FLYNN RYDER?" she said, sticking the pan at his face. Kiku knew the smooth talking route was not going to work on Natasha and the blonde man realised it too.

"Okay, okay," he replied. "It's like this, Blondie ….."

"Natasha!"

"Bless you!" he replied. "I was in a situation, stuck in the forest and I saw your tower and …..." Kiku watched as the man realised something vital was missing.

"Oh! Oh no!" he looked around the room in desperation. "Where's the satchel?" He looked panicked and Kiku knew that they could use the crown in the satchel as a bargaining tool and he and Natasha smiled at each other.

"I've hidden it," Natasha said, pleased with herself. "Where you'll never find it!" 'Flynn' looked around the room and his eyes fell on where Natasha had stashed the satchel.

"It's in that pot, isn't it," he replied.

Tied up as he was, Flynn could not avoided the frying pan she swung at his head.

* * *

He swore he would not do it again but here Kiku was with his tongue in 'Flynn's' ear again.

"ARRRGH!" he screamed again and Kiku retracted his tongue. "WILL YOU STOP DOING THAT!" Kiku thought he would be more then happy to, it was not his idea of a fun time.

"Now it's somewhere you'll never find it," Natasha said, dragging the man's attention back to her as she stood on the floorboard she had hidden it under. She was still holding the frying pan so the man had better mind his manners. "What do you want with my hair? To cut it? SELL IT!" The man just looked confused again.

"Look!" he replied. "The only thing I want to do with your hair is get out of it. LITERALLY!" Natasha was confused. He had to be after her hair, why else was he here?

"You..." she hesitated. "DON'T want my hair?"

"Why on earth would I want your hair?" he huffed impatiently. "Look! I was being chased, saw this tower, climbed it, bada bing bada boom, the end!" Kiku knew that the man had found the tower by accident but Natasha had lived in fear of discovery for so long, she needed a little convincing.

"Are you telling the truth?" she asked, warily.

"Yes!" She stared at him as if trying to gauge his truthfulness. Kiku ran down her arm to get a good look at Flynn Ryder. The different name had thrown him a little so he had to be sure. He stood at the edge of the frying pan and stared the man in the face, taking in the funny lock of hair that stuck up in an impossible way, the sky-blues eyes and his aura and Kiku smiled. Yes, it was Alfred, no doubt about it!

Natasha and Kiku withdrew to have a discussion out of earshot of 'Flynn'. Well, Natasha had the discussion.

"Do you think he's telling the truth?" she whispered to Kiku. Kiku nodded vigorously. "But can he be trusted? He IS from outside, after all, although he doesn't have pointy teeth! Do you think we should let him take us to the lights?" More vigorous nodding from Kiku and they turned back to Flynn/Alfred would had clearly been trying to work his way loose.

"I'm going to make a deal with you, Flynn Ryder," Natasha announced.

"A deal?"

"Look this way," she walked to the picture of herself and the lights and yanked on her hair to pull him round, unfortunately tipping the chair up and causing Flynn to land on his face.

"OWWWWW!"

"Do you know what these are?" she asked, pointing to the painted floating lights.

"You mean the lanterns they release for the princess each year?" He sounded muffled with his face squashed into the floor.

"I knew they weren't stars," Natasha breathed. "These lanterns will appear tomorrow night. I want you to take me to see them, then bring me home safely. Then and only then will I return your satchel. That's the deal!" Flynn looked like she had just told him to put his head in a hangman's noose.

"No way!" he said, adamantly. "Me and the palace! Not exactly on speaking terms. I'm going nowhere near it!" Natasha looked at Kiku gave her a look that said do what she had to and she began using her hair to pull him upright and toward her.

"It's no accident you're here," she replied. "Something lead you here. Fate, destiny ….."

"A dog!" Strange reply but she ploughed on.

"... so I've decided to trust you..."

"Bad decision!" he mocked.

"But I'll tell you this," she replied, yanking her hair, making his chair fall forward but catching it so they were almost nose to nose.

"You can tear this tower down, brick by brick," the scary dark aura was back "But you will never find your precious satchel!" Flynn mused it over for a moment.

"Let's see if I've got this right," he said. "I take you to see the lanterns, bring you back and you give me back the satchel?"

"I promise! And I never, EVER, break a promise!" she assured. "EVER! I'll even pinky swear!"

Flynn looked like he was trying to remember something but then the moment was gone and he got a cagey look on his face.

"I didn't want to do this," he said. "But you've left me no choice." He looked up at her with puppy dog eyes and a pouty lip. It was adorable and Natasha almost succumbed but she realised that was what he what and hardened herself to it and Flynn realised it was not working.

"Okay, this is new," he mused. "I'm clearly having an off-day. All right! I'll take you to see the damn lanterns." The chair was let go as Natasha squealed with joy, leading to a cry of pain.

"Ooops!" was all she could say as Flynn groaned.

"I'm regretting this already!"

* * *

Kiku grabbed hold of Natasha's hair as she contemplated whether or not to stay or go. This was the turning point as far as Kiku was concerned as he watched Flynn/Alfred climb down the tower. He was going to be annoyed when he found out that Natasha could have lowered him down.

He watched as she looked back into the tower and willed with all his might for her to look away and finally she did and looked back into the valley. With a breath of fortification, she swung out and began to descend down her own hair. Kiku saw the dumbfounded expression that quickly turned petulant on Flynn's face as they passed him.

Natasha stopped about a foot above the ground and Kiku knew that she was contemplating climbing back up. Kiku willed her to put her foot on the ground and take that first step on solid ground. Once that was done, there was no going back.

 _Step down! Step down!_

One foot came down and the toes tentatively touched the grass and when the whole foot touched the floor, Kiku would have shouted for joy, had he been in human form. Two years of trying to get Natasha to leave the tower and the day was finally here.

Flynn reached the ground in a pouty mood at having to get down the tower the hard way but Natasha was no longer there. She was running around, chasing dandelion seeds in the wind and splashing through the little steam before she saw the tunnel in the rock that her mother always went through when she left the valley. She ran to it, through the tunnel and burst through ivy that hung down and hid the tunnel on the other side.

Kiku knew that this was the beginning. Natasha was out in the world at last and Kiku would help her get back to her real family and help her and Alfred achieve their Happily Ever After!

This was the start!

 _ **Yes! Kiku finally got Natasha out of the castle, thanks to Alfred showing up. Now Kiku needs to help Natasha in the outside world and find her real parents. Wish them luck!**_

 **To Maveriqua** _**– Do I want to know what's behind all those censored? XP And if he didn't have brains before, he won't have them now XD**_

 **To themuscialcat** _**– I've read some good stories that are less than a thousand words so word length does not a great story make. And you're welcome! :) Yeah, Alfred should make things interesting although Kiku might have his hands full with him. After all, he's a little self-centred at the moment but time will tell!**_

 **To Normandy** _**– I bet frying pans do hurt though I've never been hit by on personally! D: Oh yeah Katya's pulling out all the stops to be 'Mommie Dearest', isn't she! :P**_

 _ **That's that for another week! Let's see how Kiku helps Natasha deal with the patrons of the Snuggly Duckling. Should be fun! :D**_

 _ **Till next week,**_

 _ **Hasta la Pasta!**_


	9. Pt 9

**I AM SO BOILING MAD RIGHT NOW! My memory stick has been corrupted, thank goodness I save this chapter to my laptop as well as the stick or you would be waiting a while for this chapter. Bloody technology!**

 **Okay! Now that rant is out of the way, Enjoy!**

 **Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya and Disney is owned by Disney!**

 _ **Hetalia Tale 5:5 : A Fairy Tale Job Pt 9**_

Kiku stood on a rock, watching Flynn/Alfred watching Natasha as she went on a mood swing-fest. At first she was euphoric, crying about how she had finally done it and yelling for joy, then she went on a downward turn, fretting about her mother's reaction and Kiku was afraid she would bolt back to the tower.

 _What she doesn't know won't hurt her!_ he willed.

"But if she doesn't know about it, it's all good, right?" Natasha reasoned and Kiku smiled but his smile dropped when she said, "Oh! It would kill her if she knew!"

 _But this is the biggest adventure you've ever had,_ He threw her way. _Do you want to miss out on all this fun!_ Natasha began to run around the woods in excitement.

"THIS IS SO MUCH FUN!" she squealed but it didn't last. "How can I be so horrible to my own mother! I'm going back!" Kiku panicked.

 _How can you go back after tasting this freedom? Embrace it!_ Natasha grabbed some leaves from the ground and threw them into the air to fall over her.

"I'M NEVER GOING BACK!" she cried and then she dropped again. _"_ I am a AWFUL, AWFUL, AWFUL PERSON!" Kiku groaned. This was hard work!

 _You're not awful! Think about what you've done! You tackled an intruder and beaten him! Now you've set foot outside of the tower for the first time in your life. This is a great day!_ Natasha threw her hair over the branch of a tree and began swinging on it, screaming, "BEST DAY EVER!"

Kiku was exhausted so when Natasha suddenly sat down sobbing he was glad that Flynn/Alfred, who had been watching all this and decided enough was enough, finally stepped in.

"Ya know," he said. "You seem to be a little conflicted here." Kiku turned to him and thought, _you think!_ Natasha looked up in tears.

"What do you mean?"

"Just the impression I get from what I've picked up," he replied. "Over-protective mother, forbidden adventure, it's serious and stuff but I can help with that. It's all part of growing up, a little rebellion and adventure, everybody does it." It all sounded like reassurance but Kiku was pretty sure that's not what Flynn/Alfred had in mind.

"They do?" Natasha asked.

"Of course, it is," Flynn replied. "Stop over-thinking it. Does your mother deserve this? Probably not! Would her heart be broken and her spirit crushed by disappointment? Of course it would but whatcha gonna do, I mean, ya need this, right?" Kiku just knew it!

Natasha looked shock at his words.

"Break her heart?"

"Shatter it!"

"Crush her spirit?"

"Into dust!"

' _Damn!'_ thought Kiku. ' _Why do I have to work with people who make my job difficult?"_

"It's true!" he worriedly heard her say. "She would be so hurt!" _More worried about the loss of her fountain of youth, more like!_ Kiku thought.

"Oh no!" Flynn/Alfred replied, dramatically. "Okay, it'll cost me to do this but I'm gonna forget the deal!" _Stop that, right now!_

"That's right!" Alfred said, sticking the frying pan under Natasha's arm. "I don't want thanks! We'll just get ya home, I'll get back my satchel, your mother never knows and you get to keep your relationship with her and we part as friends and allies..." As he steered Natasha toward the ivy curtain, Kiku willed Natasha not to fall for it and sighed with relief when she suddenly punched Flynn/Alfred in the arm.

"NO!" Flynn/Alfred rubbed his arm where she had punched him while she shouted at him. "I AM seeing those lanterns and you ARE going to take me!" It might not have been what Flynn/Alfred intended but Kiku was pleased to see that he strengthened her resolve.

"OH, COME ON!" Flynn/Alfred lost his temper as his failure to cajole or guilt-trip his way out of this situation. "Who cares about the stupid lanterns! Just give me my satchel back?" Natasha turned dark and scary again, ready to swing the frying pan at him.

"I WILL USE THIS!" Kiku was ready to will her to do just that, to knock some sense into him when the bush beside them rustled and Natasha squealed, hiding behind Flynn/Alfred, ready to defend herself with the frying pan. When Flying Mint Bunny flew out of the bush, Kiku was pleased. He knew FMB would bring Arthur here, saving him the task of somehow informing the Fae of the whereabouts of his son because, how Kiku was going to do that without Arthur recognising him from the Chibitalia days, Kiku had no idea.

"Keep the frying pan ready," Flynn/Alfred teased as the little green rabbit flew away. "It might be back. It knows you're scared now." Natasha blushed and said she was a little jumpy. Flynn/Alfred agreed that it would be best to stay away from rough people.

"Are you hungry?" he asked. "There's a place that serves great meals not too far from here." Kiku knew Flynn/Alfred was going to take Natasha to the Snuggly Duckling in an effort to scare Natasha back to the tower but Kiku had read that part of the Tale. He was going to enjoy the surprise on Flynn/Alfred's face.

* * *

Hercules had joined the Tale for this next bit but he was running foul of a certain Turk who had taken a dislike to him and Lucifer. As he sat, talking to Lucifer about the days of Sparta when the soldiers would strip down for inspection by another soldier or …... friend, Sadik lost it, grabbing Hercules by his shirt and glaring at him threateningly.

"Any more of that naked Spartan bullsh*t, Feta-breath," he growled. "And I'll gut you and that damned cat." Lucifer responded by scratching the offending hand, making Sadik yelp in pain. Hercules petted Lucifer, this time rewarding his bad behaviour and just as Sadik was about to pound them both, the door to the tavern burst open and a voice called out, "Landlord, your finest table please!"

Everyone in the tavern turned to the voice to see a blonde man with glasses beside a frightened blonde girl with the longest hair anybody had ever seen. The man put his hands on the girl's shoulders and pushed her into the room and she squealed as a big thug with a moustache stained with blood grabbed hold of her hair and ran in a desperate attempt to get it out of his hands.

"You look scared, Blondie," Flynn/Alfred said, putting his arm around her shoulders and moved her toward the door. "Maybe we should call it a day and get you home. After all, this establishment's high-class and if you can't handle this..." Flynn/Alfred's plan fell apart when the tavern door was slammed shut.

"Is this you?" On the back of the door was a wanted poster of him with an enormous nose. Suddenly it was a free-for-all as everyone began grabbing Flynn/Alfred, all wanted the reward while someone ran to find the Royal Guards. As he was pulled past, Hercules grabbed Flynn/Alfred's neck cloth and let it flutter to the ground while Natasha was hitting people with the frying pan and demanding that they leave Flynn/Alfred alone. She whipped her hair around Sadik's hand, just as he was about to punch Flynn/Alfred's lights out, and yanked him off his feet.

"Let him go!," she cried. "I don't know where I am and I need HIM to take me to the flying lanterns because I've always wanted to see them for as long as I can remember. Have you never had a dream?" Sadik got up and approached Natasha threateningly while Hercules and Kiku locked eyes and nodded to each other.

 _Tell her your dream!_ They willed together. Every person in the room had a dream and a kernel of decency at their core, although Kiku had his doubts about the man in pink, putting some suspicious frosting on some rather dubious cupcakes in the corner.

"I did have a dream once," Sadik said, filled with a sudden urge to answer Natasha "I'm malicious, I'm mean, I'm scary. I have a sneer that curdled milk still inside the cow. I've no clean record when it comes to violence. I hide my face behind a mask and I have a temper but I wasn't always like this. When I was younger, I really wanted to become a chef."

"It's not too late," Natasha reassured him. "You can still do that if you really want to."

"I want to be a musician," came a voice near the broken piano. It came from a young in a red coat with black hair and reddish-brown eyes who bore a striking resemblance to Roderich Edelstein. The Grand Duke of Austria. Natasha recommended that he go for it!

Everyone was calling out there dreams. A Spaniard called Andres Carriedo wanted to be in love, a Canadian named Matt Williams, who jogged Flynn/Alfred's memory for some reason, wanted to write Romance.

"I bake cupcakes!" the pink man said, offering the finished treats that everyone avoided like the plague. Kiku turned and winked at Hercules.

"I just want a happily ever after," Hercules said. "And maybe open a cattery." Lucifer meowed in agreement and Kiku smiled.

"What about you?" Sadik asked, poking Flynn/Alfred.

"What about me?" he said.

"What's your dream?" Sadik pressed. Flynn shook his head.

"I don't do 'share my inner thoughts'," he said, then found a curved sword under his chin. "All right. I want to, one day, be really wealthy and own my own island."

 _Right!_ thought Hercules and Kiku. Sadik gave a grunt of derision before turning to Natasha.

"And your dream, little one?" Sadik asked, with a smile.

"I just want to see the flying lanterns," she replied. "I've seen them at a distance my whole life. I want to see them up close, just once." Sadik nodded with understanding. "You know, I was scared to leave my home," Natasha admitted. "But after meeting you I'm glad I did. I mean, look at us! We're all different but we all have dreams and I'm sure they'll all come true." Everyone cheered in agreement.

Everyone raised their tankards.

"To dreams coming true!"

Then the front door burst open and the man who went for the authorities ran in.

"I've brought the guards!"

* * *

Kiku clung to Natasha's hair as Flynn/Alfred pulled her down behind the bar as the guards burst in. Kiku knew there was a way out but it was yet to be revealed as they crawled behind the counter only to be stopped by Sadik's sword. The look on Flynn/Alfred's face showed that he believed that Sadik was about to turn them in for the reward but instead, Sadik's eyes flicked to the floor with a painted duck on it next to them but Flynn/Alfred was clueless as to what Sadik was trying to say. Kiku turned to look at Hercules and nodded and Hercules reached to grab an ale pump, pulled it and the duck fell, revealing the hidden tunnel that Kiku knew was there. Hercules knelt down beside them.

"Go live your dream," he said to them both. "Make it come true!"

"I will!" Flynn/Alfred promised. Sadik snorted.

"Your dream sucks!" he declared. "He was talking to her!" Hercules chuckled and he and Kiku looked at each other as they passed.

 _Be careful, Kiku!_ Hercules thought to his love.

 _I will!_ Kiku promised back as they disappeared into the tunnel.

 **And there we go! Running from the guards now and next week we'll see Berlitz and the Jones Twins again. Fun times ahead.**

 **To Maveriqua** **– YES, NATASHA IS FINALLY FREE! XDDD Thanks for telling me about the italics! I don't know how that happened but it been fixed now!**

 **To themusicalcat** **– That's true! A story can get bogged down with too much detail which is why I try not to do that. And Kiku has rougher times to come, trust me! :(**

 **To takuya – I glad you think so! It's nice to revisit old friends, isn't it! ;)**

 **To Normandy** **– Katya's not on my nice list either! :( Poor Kiku really has a tough job and yeah! Poor Ludwig and Feliciano :'( but they won't be sad for long. :)**

 **Next week, we'll have twins, a dog, a dip in the river and maybe the return of our favourite Italian 2p! Stay tuned to find out!**

 **Hasta la Pasta!**

 **Please excuse any errors! I had no time to check. I'll do it when I have time! ;)**


	10. Pt 10

**I'm getting Writer's Block again! Don't you just hate that! Here we go, Enjoy!**

 **Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya!**

 _ **Hetalia Tales 5:5 : A Fairy Tale Job Pt 10**_

Having left the Snuggly Duckling and the guards behind, Flynn/Alfred and Natasha made their way down the tunnel, their way lit by the fire torch that Flynn/Alfred carried. He expressed his amazement at the way she had won over the ruffians back at the inn. Kiku smiled at the memory of Natasha's little bonding session with the criminals. Kiku and Hercules just used a little magic to suggest things they want to do anyway, mind control being against Magical Law. Natasha did the rest!

Natasha asked Flynn/Alfred about himself and where he was from but Flynn/Alfred was not receptive of that and refused to give any personal information, turning it around and began asking Natasha about why she had never left her tower before. Natasha was not comfortable with that question but she was saved (if you could call it that) from answering by vibrations in the ground and soldiers coming down the tunnel. Kiku mentally said 'Run!', a sentiment that was echoed by Flynn/Alfred verbally.

Kiku clung to Natasha's hair as she ran down the tunnel, creating a little distance between them and the soldiers who were hampered by the narrow tunnel. All three squinted as they left the tunnel and ran into sunshine but there they had to stop. They found themselves on a ledge that over-looked a quarry and Kiku groaned. This was not a part of the Tale he had been looking forward to as things were about to get dangerous.

There was no way down to the quarry floor but a rickety old rope ladder that looked like it would snap the moment they put a foot on it and there was a massive dam above them. They had to get down to the quarry floor as that was where the exit was but as they looked for a way down, another boarded up exit near the tunnel they had to get to burst open and two identical brown haired men burst out.

"Who are they?" Natasha asked, warily.

"Let's just say they don't like me," Flynn/Alfred replied. They turned as guards emerge from the tunnel behind them.

"Who are they?"

"They don't like me either!" Then a large German Shepherd dog burst through the guards.

"Before you ask," Flynn said. "Just assume that nobody here likes me!" Kiku look over at the wooden aqueduct that was carrying water from the dam down into the valley and clicked his tongue to get Natasha's attention. She turned to look at him and then at where he was looking, seeing a wooden outcropping that would take her to another ledge on the other side of the quarry. Slapping the frying pan into Flynn/Alfred's stomach, she threw her hair like a whip and wrapped it round the wood, swinging to safety with Kiku clinging to her hair.

She looked back at Flynn/Alfred who was facing off against the soldiers with nothing but a frying pan and doing surprisingly well but once the soldiers were out of the way, he had to face the dog.

"How are we going to get Flynn across, Kiku?"

Kiku looked round and saw a piece of rock, sticking out from the ledge. If she wrapped her hair around that …..

He clicked his tongue again and looked down at the rock and Natasha realised what he was hinting at. She wound her hair round the rock and then she took the end of it and threw it toward Flynn/Alfred who had just lost the frying pan and was at the dog's mercy. The hair wrapped around his hand and Natasha pulled him off the ledge.

Flynn/Alfred swung down toward the quarry floor where Kiku saw with alarm that the Jones brothers were waiting for him with swords drawn. Fortunately, Natasha saw it too and pulled on her hair, raising Flynn/Alfred above the swipes of the swords. Flynn/Alfred's laugh at the looks on their faces was cut short when he smacked into the aqueduct.

Both Kiku and Natasha were relieved when he was only winded and climbed on to the aqueduct instead of falling but suddenly there was a thud and they looked behind them. A large beam of wood from the dam had fallen, spanning the gap between the two ledges and the dog was coming for them. There was nowhere to run to until Natasha felt a tugging on her hair.

"Come on, Blondie!" Flynn/Alfred shouted. Kiku anchored himself firmly to Natasha as she gathered her hair and swung out into the open air, just as the dog almost caught them. Kiku felt the wind rush past him as they swung down to the ground. That was when they heard the crashing sound behind them. They looked back to see the dam collapsing and the water flooding over the top, right at them. The aqueduct began breaking apart and all Natasha could do was run! Flynn/Alfred leapt from falling part to falling part of the aqueduct and made it down to the ground, running behind Natasha and pursued by the Jones Brothers. They were save from them by the water but now, unfortunately, the water was coming for them.

Kiku was dreading this next bit. He knew it would all end well but …...

It would get worse before it got better!

While Natasha did not dare to look back at what was creating that shadow that was falling over them but Kiku could spare the time and saw that a tall, stone pillar that had stood in the centre of the quarry had been toppled by the force of the water and was falling directly over them. Kiku saw Flynn/Alfred running as fast as he could while gathering Natasha's trailing hair into his arms. Kiku looked back the way they were running and the tunnel was was merely feet away but water was already beginning to over take them and he knew that the tunnel was not as safe as they thought.

But he was still relieved when they made it before the stone pillar squashed them flat, even the frying pan was washed in after them but, just as Kiku had read, there was the tunnel. Blocked!

Water was leaking in through the gaps and the tunnel began to fill, with seemingly no way out. Flynn/Alfred quickly put his glasses in his pocket and dove into the rising water. Natasha took the frying pan and tried to break through the walls with it but it barely made a scratch. Flynn/Alfred emerge and tried to help her but he just ended up cutting his hand so he went back to tried to find a way out under water but he came back up with no success. Kiku really wanted to show the two of them the way out but a heart-to-heart had to happen first.

"There's no use!" Flynn/Alfred said. "It's pitch black down there!" Natasha began to sob.

"This is all my fault," she wept. "Mother was right, I shouldn't have done this! I'm so, so sorry, Flynn!"

"Alfred!"

"What?"

"My name," 'Alfred' replied. "It's Alfred F. Jones. I'd like someone to know." Kiku knew Natasha was debating whether or not to tell him her secret and he willed her to do so.

"I have magic hair that glows when I sing," she revealed. Alfred looked at her confused and Kiku smiled as she realised how this could help them.

"I have magic hair that GLOWS when I sing!" she gasped and then she began singing. "Flowergleamandglow," she rushed. "Letyourpowershine." And then the water closed over their heads. Kiku took a deep breath in the last few inches and prepared for the longest seconds of his life.

The dark underwater area lit up as Natasha's hair began glowing and Alfred noticed it being pulled towards some rocks and swam down to them and began pulling them away and Natasha helped him while Kiku hung on to her hair. As more rocks were shifted, the flow of water became stronger and then, just as everyone's breath was reaching their limit and Kiku seriously considered taking his human form and transporting everyone to safety, there was a massive surge and the water carried them out of the tunnel and into a river created by the collapsed dam.

All of them gasped for air as they made for the nearest bank and Natasha climbed out of the water, depositing Kiku on the bank to recover his breath as Alfred gasped beside him.

The things he went through in his line of work!

Alfred began to freak out.

"Her hair glows! I never saw that coming! WHY DOES HER HAIR GLOW?"

"FLYNN!" Natasha had been trying to get his attention and he turned toward her.

"It doesn't just glow," she told him and Kiku smiled up at Alfred, knowing what she was about to show him.

"Why's he smiling at me?"

* * *

Kiku sat on a log by the cracking camp-fire while Natasha wound her hair around the wound on Alfred's hand who watched it all, perplexed.

"Are ya gonna to tell me why you're wrapping your hair 'round my injured hand?" he asked and then winced in pain.

"Sorry!" Natasha apologised. "Now please, don't freak out!" She closed her eyes and began to sing the song she sang in the blocked tunnel. Kiku watched as light lit at the roots of her hair and began to grow through the strands that lay in front of him, going on toward Alfred who watched the glow come toward his hand, warily. The glow wrapped itself around his hand and Alfred looked really nervous and then the glow faded and he unwound the hair from his hand. As he stared at his completely healed hand, despite promising not to freak out, he freaked out!

"Oh my god! Magic hair! Magic, glowing hair! Magic, glowing, healing hair. Oh my god! How long's it been doing that?"

"Forever, I guess," she replied. "Mother said when I was a baby, people tried to take it from me. They cut it, wanting it for themselves." She pulled her hair to one side, revealing a short, auburn lock.

"When it's cut," she continued as Alfred looked at her hair. "It becomes like this and loses it's power. My gift has to be protected so that's why mother never allowed me ….. That's why I never left ….. " Natasha broke off.

"Why you never left the tower," Alfred guessed and the look on his face told Kiku that Alfred had his suspicions about Natasha's mother and the tower and did not like what he suspected.

"Are you still gonna go back?" he asked. Kiku hoped not and clearly Alfred did too.

"No! Yes! I don't know!" Natasha put her head in her hands in frustration and rubbed her face. Then she turned back to Alfred.

"So Alfred F. Jones, huh." He shrugged.

"Boring story," he replied. "Found in New York, America by Frederick Jones, hence the F. Jones. Bit of a downer, really." Natasha looked anything but bored.

"The twins back at the quarry," he explained. "We kinda travelled together but I began to dislike some of things they did and because they were called F. Jones too, people thought we were all related. So I decided to change my name. Well, there was this book, I used to read it to the younger orphans. The Tales of Flynnigan Ryder. Swashbuckler, rich, ladies man. He'd never brag, of course."

"Was he a thief?" Natasha asked.

"No!" Alfred admitted. "Actually, he was a hero. He was wealthy enough to do anything he wanted to do, go anywhere he wanted to go and to a kid who had nothing, well, it just seemed so much better." Natasha smiled at Alfred.

"Did you steal that crown?" she asked. "Do you really want to be wealthy that badly?" Flynn looked thoughtful.

"What I said about my dream," he said. "Back in the Snuggly Duckling! It wasn't true. I just said that because I thought that's what they wanted to hear. I stole the crown to help make my real dream come true."

"What is your real dream?" Natasha asked.

"To find my family," he admitted. "I've no memory before the age of eight, except my first name. But I dream of three people and I know they're my family. I want to find them but that takes money so I stole the crown."

Natasha did not really approve of the stealing but understood why he would do it and told him she thought it was sweet.

"Don't tell anyone, okay?" he begged. "It could ruin my reputation if it got out."

"Oh! We wouldn't want that," Natasha teased. Then their eyes met and Kiku smiled at the tender moment.

 _They're beginning to fall in love_ , he thought. _The Tale is still on course._ He was still a little worried though because he still had not read the last of the Tale. He hoped he would find time to return home to read it, otherwise he would be working blind. Then Alfred broke the moment.

"I'll just go get some more firewood," he said, getting up and walking toward the trees.

"Hey!" she called after him and he turned back to her. "Just so you know, I like Alfred F. Jones better than Flynn Ryder."

"Thanks," he replied. "You're the only one so far." And he disappeared into the trees.

Kiku sat beside Natasha as she watched him disappear into the woods. The look on her face said it all and Kiku could not be happier but it was too bad he knew something was about to spoil the moment.

"I thought he'd never leave!"

 **And guess who shows up! This is taking longer than I thought to write but what can you do? I'd like to get this finished soon but I don't want it to be rushed so we'll just have to see how it goes. :)**

 **To themusicalcat** **– Once again, thank you for telling me about my little error! D: Technology can be fickle and I've had more than my fair share of problems with it! But, in this case, I probably did upload the wrong chapter (oops!) Yes, they do but it is only suggestion, they can't control anyone's mind, only encourage them to do stuff that, deep down inside, they want to do anyway! ;) I know the problem of writing too much, I can't seem to keep one-shots as one-shots, they always end up as two, three or, in the case of this story, more than ten shots. Oh well! And Kiku's job will get harder, that you can be sure of! DX**

 **To Maveriqua** **– Kiku and Hercules have many weird and wonderful abilities to aid them in their task ;D If you remember, 'a message seemed to pass between them as they disappeared into the tunnel' :) And Sadik! Mean! Nah, he's a pussycat! XD**

 **To takuya** **– Yeah, getting to the good stuff now. :D You know, I'm getting De-ja-vu too. Occupational hazard of telling a story again from another point of view. I'm trying not to follow too closely but I constantly fall into that trap of getting sucked into the original story. :( I'll try to do better with it, I promise!**

 **And that's that for another week. Next week, they'll meet Berlitz and head into the city for Natasha's birthday. Fun and lanterns!**

 **So till next time,**

 **Hasta la Pasta!**


	11. Pt 11

**Back again and this will be a short one because time has caught up with me but I hope you like anyway! Enjoy!**

 **Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya!**

 _ **Hetalia Tales 5:5 : A Fairy Tale Job Pt 11**_

Kiku blended in with the tree log he was sat on so Katya would not see him as she approached Natasha who looked very guilty, now that her mother was here in all her disapproving glory. The youth magic was clearly wearing off as Katya was looking very haggard.

"Hello, dear," Katya said, mockingly.

"Mother!" Natasha gasped. "How did you find me?" The hug Katya pulled Natasha into that was possessive.

"Oh, it was easy," she replied. "I just listened for the sound of complete and utter betrayal and followed that!" Natasha looked even more guilty now.

"Mother, I …." But 'Mother' just grabbed her wrist.

"We're going home, Natasha, NOW!" she ordered, pulling her along but Natasha pulled her to a halt.

"Mother, please," she begged. "This journey has been incredible and I've learned a great deal." Kiku knew that was not what Katya wanted to hear but he was more than happy with Natasha's words, proving she was less afraid of the outside world and was growing to like it.

"I've even met someone!" The disapproving look on Katya's face showed that she was not happy.

"Yes," she replied with sarcasm. "The wanted thief! What every mother wants to hear. I'm so proud! Now let's go!" But, in an uncharacteristic show of defiance, Natasha pulled her arm from Katya's grip.

"Please, mother," she plead. "I think …. I think he likes me." Katya definitely looked unhappy now.

"That's completely demented, Natasha," she said, harshly. "Now you know why you should have stayed where you were. This invented romance just proves you're too naïve for the outside world." Katya walked around Natasha and began picking at her self-esteem, it had always worked before.

"Why would he like someone like you?" Katya asked, mockingly. "You think he's impressed with you. Don't be dumb and come home. Remember. Mother Knows …... "

"NO!" Natasha was in full-blown rebellion now. Katya blamed the influence of Ryder and vowed to make him pay for interfering.

"It's like that, is it?" she sneered. "Natasha knows best. Such a mature, clever, grown up little miss, are you? Well if you're so sure about your new boyfriend, give him this." And she held up the satchel.

"Where did you …. ?" Katya pulled the crown out and threw at Natasha who caught it.

"This is what he really wants," she said. "You shouldn't be deceived by him. Give him that and see what happens. I promise, he'll leave you just like that." Katya snapped her fingers.

"I won't even say I told you so," she continued, throwing the satchel at Natasha. "If you know better, put your dreamboat to the test. Don't come crying to me if he's lying to you. Remember! Mother Knows Best!" Katya stormed off through the trees, leaving Natasha alone with the crown and satchel. Kiku was glad that Katya was gone and pleased that Natasha had stood her ground but he knew that it would not end there. Trouble was brewing but Kiku could do nothing to stop it.

"Hey," Alfred's voice called. "Can I, huh, ask something?" Natasha looked for a place to hide the satchel and spotted a tree stump with a hollow gap in its roots.

Alfred came into the camp with his arms full of fallen branches.

"Am I gonna get super strength in my hand or something?" he asked. "Cause that would be totally cool." He became worried when she did not answer.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concerned. Natasha turned, smiling but Kiku knew it was false.

"Sorry," she replied. "Yes, I'm fine. I was just thinking." Alfred looked like he was about to question her answer but then he shrugged and let it go.

"Well, it's like this," he continued, teasingly. "I was born with superhuman looks but superhuman strength? Can you imagine the possibilities?"

Kiku looked back the way the Katya had stormed off in. He was fast approaching the part of the Tale he had not read yet and he could really do with going home to read the last of the story but it could not be tonight. He had something to do.

* * *

Natasha had been asleep for some time but Alfred was apparently a night owl and took longer and then he had to wait for Alfred to reach REM sleep and by that time, dawn was not far away. But finally Kiku could get to work. He took human form and knelt beside Alfred's sleeping form, pulling his hands on either side of Alfred's head. Kiku's hands glowed as he concentrated his magic on opening a way to the blocked memories in Alfred's head. That done, he went back to being a chameleon, just in case Alfred or Natasha woke up early, and settled down to keep an eye on Alfred as the magic took effect.

" _Are you leaving us, Dad?"_

 _The blonde man with green eyes and huge eyebrows that seemed to tower over Alfred. A boy who looked like Alfred but with violet eyes and longer hair that had a wayward strand that stuck out and curled down between his eyes stood beside Alfred. Behind them was another man, also with blonde hair, blue eyes and a stubbly beard. Alfred was holding a rabbit while the other boy was holding what looked like a polar bear cub._

 _The man with the eyebrows, his 'Dad', knelt down and Alfred could see his green wing coming out of his back. The man put a hand on both his and the other boy's cheeks._

" _That's why I'm sending you forward in time," the man replied, gently. "So you won't know I'm gone. There's a bad sorceress after a little baby. He needs protection."_

" _So you're going to be a hero?" Alfred wanted to be one himself when he grew up and he loved the idea of his Dad being one._

" _You could say that," his Dad replied. "But this baby will be in danger for a long time. But I promise I'll be waiting for you when you arrive."_

 _After hugging both boys, the winged man stood up and kissed the other blonde kissed and parted._

" _Nous revenir, mon coeur!" the other man said in French. Alfred knew it meant 'Come back to us, my heart!'_

" _I will," the winged man replied and kissed Alfred and the other boy on their heads._

 _He told them to stand in the centre of the magic circle he had drawn on the ground and he lit candles that stood around the edge and told them to hold hands and not let go! Alfred shifted the rabbit on to one arm while he took the other man's hand. The winged man pulled out a slender baton and began chanting too low for Alfred to hear what he was saying and the circle began to glow._

 _The rabbit leapt from Alfred's arm and bolted._

" _LIBBY!" he cried and let go of the Frenchman's hand to chase after it._

" _No! Alfred!" the winged man grabbed Alfred and pushed him back to the circle. "Take hold of your father's hand. NOW!"_

 _Alfred ran back to the circle, trusting the winged man to take care of his pet and reached out to take the other man's hand. He was within touching distance of the Frenchman when the spell reached its peak._

 _There was a flash of light and then darkness surrounded Alfred. Then he felt something wet hit his cheek._

* * *

Kiku would have like Alfred to have a bit more sleep to remember more but the sun had barely risen when a new player entered the Tale and drooled on Alfred, waking him up. Alfred's eyes fluttered opened and he looked up at the growling, drooling German Shepherd.

"Ah!" What an understatement! Alfred screamed as the dog clamped his teeth into Alfred's boot and began dragging him away, waking Natasha who immediately grabbed hold of Alfred's hands to pull him back.

"Let him go!" Natasha demanded, pulling harder. Then the boot flew off, sending everybody in opposite directions. The German Shepherd shook himself and, with Alfred's boot still in his mouth, lunged for Alfred but Natasha stepped in his way as Kiku climbed onto her shoulder.

"Easy!" she said, trying to calm the angry dog. "Take it easy!" As he tried to get past the girl in his way, Kiku sent his will at the dog.

 _ _'You know her'__ he thought. __'Remember!'__

The dog seemed to stop in its tracks, took a sniff and, suddenly, it was as excited as a puppy, bouncing around Natasha who was perplexed as to why the dog's mood had changed so dramatically but as long as he stopped trying to get at Alfred.

"Now sit!" Natasha ordered. The dog looked at her confused and she told him to sit again and, this time he obeyed. Natasha then told him to drop Alfred's boot and had to tell him again when he refused. He obeyed with ill grace but he was rewarded when Natasha began to scratch him behind the ears.

"Oh! Good boy!" she praised. "Are you tired from chasing the naughty man all over the place?" Knowing a little of Alfred's past, Natasha figured the dog's attitude to him had something to do with that. Alfred was less than pleased by the banter between girl and dog.

"Hey!" he fumed. "I'm right here, ya know!"

"Nobody really appreciates what you do, do they?" she said, hugging the dog. Alfred pouted.

"Oh! Come on! He's a bad dog!" The German Shepherd growled at Alfred.

"No, he isn't," Natasha replied. "He a big sweetheart, aren't you …..?" She looked at his collar. "...Berlitz!" Berlitz licked her face and she rubbed the side of his belly.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Alfred groused. Berlitz glared at Alfred and Natasha was afraid Berlitz would go for him again.

"Look!" she explained. "This is the biggest day of my life and, well, I need him not to get arrested." Berlitz looked at her as if to say 'Are you kidding me?'

"Just for a day," she plead. "Then you can chase each other all over the country as much as you want. Deal?" While Alfred was naturally willing to call a truce, (it would give him a chance to get away when he got the crown back) Berlitz was less than willing to agree.

"Did I mention that it's also my birthday," she added, sweetly. Berlitz huffed and Kiku was pleased that it meant that Berlitz had given in which was good because Berlitz would be important later.

Then the sound of bells in the distance reached their ears and Natasha moved in their direction. From her shoulder, Kiku looked back to see if Alfred and Berlitz were following them, just in time to see Berlitz give Alfred a small bite on his leg, making him yelp. Kiku sighed.

 _'They have to work together soon'_ he thought as the city came into sight.

Natasha ran toward the city with excitement, not realising that she was closer to her real parents than she had ever been since she was taken from them.

 **Okay! I'll have to stop there now! I just wanted to get a chapter out today even if it was not very long but now you know why Alfred had his dream and Berlitz is finally in the Tale, although he and Alfred are not exactly on the same page yet. Let's hope Kiku gets them to work together.**

 **To Maveriqua** _**–**_ **Yeah, Mother of the Year, isn't she! And that is one of the great mysteries of the universe! ;P**

 **To themusicalcat** **– Well whatever, it's all good! And technology can be the bane of my existence at times! :( Mind control would definitely be a little too much power for anyone. Imagine what some people might do with that power! (shudder!) Don't worry about the Writer's Block, I seem to be getting on a roll, right now. Let's hope it stays that way! I'm considering doing stories of other animes as well, once I get current stories finished. We'll see how that goes! ;)**

 **To Normandy** **– Yes, there's definitely a resemblance that might jog Alfred's memory and LET THE RIVALRY CONTINUE! XDDD Let me know how the stalemate goes on! ;)**

 **That's all for this week. Kiku will have his work cut out as they go through the city and Natasha will finally see her lanterns but trouble is brewing. Find out more next week!**

 **Hasta la Pasta!**


	12. Pt 12

**And here we go! With luck, this is the pent-ultimate chapter and, when this is finished, I'll be going on to Hetalia Tales 6:5. More about that next week! Now on with the Tale, enjoy!**

 **Hetalia is own by Hidekaz Himaruya! Tangled is own by Disney!**

 _ **Hetalia Tales 5:5:A Fairy Tale Job Pt 12**_

Natasha trotted across the bridge toward the bustling city that was in the midst of some kind of festival and she could not wait to be a part of it. Kiku sat on her shoulder and smiled at her enthusiasm, turning to look back and see if Alfred and Berlitz was following them to see the two of them fighting over, what looked like, a screwed-up ball of paper. He had to get them to work together and he made a noise as loud as as he could to get their attention, emphasised by a little bit of magic and Alfred and Berlitz looked round at him.

 _Cut it out!_ he pinned them with a stern glare and they stopped fighting and Kiku turned back and did not see the little shoves that Alfred and Berlitz gave each other but at least they stopped flat out fighting.

People milled about in the streets and flags of Germania, Italy, Spain and the new Triple Monarchy flag fluttered everywhere and the festive feeling filled the air. Natasha could not wait to join in but a problem presented itself. She could not move without somebody stepping on her hair which was not only inconvenient but painful and she desperately began to gather her hair up. Alfred saw her predicament and began to help her and when all the hair was safely out of the way of feet and carriage wheels, they were left with another problem. They could not walk around with armfuls of hair so what to do. Then Kiku saw four little girls, obviously sisters, sat braiding each other's hair and clearly enjoying it. Perfect!

 _Look left!_ He willed to Alfred who's eyes were pulled to the left and he also spotted the girls and he whistled to them. They turned and saw the mass of hair, begging for a good braiding and immediately ran to Natasha and Alfred.

When a troop of guards came into sight and were heading straight for Natasha and Alfred, Kiku snuck away from them and ran into an alley and took human form. The guards could not find and arrest Alfred, that would spoil everything. He took human form and, as the guards came up to the alley, he stepped into their path and he bowed.

"Gomen'nasai!" he apologised. "I do not mean to impede you but I believe I saw pick-pockets down by the docks. I'm sure I saw someone putting their hand in someone's pocket while that person was unaware." The head of the guards nodded.

"Thank you for the warning, friend," he said and he and his compatriots headed away from where they were going and toward the docks. Kiku breathed a sigh of relief and went back to the couple.

The little girls had done a very good job with Natasha's hair and a large but beautiful braid, interlaced with flowers,fell down her back, brushing the floor but out of the way of stepping feet. Natasha thanked the little girls who ran off, giggling. Kiku changed back into a chameleon and climbed the braid to Natasha's shoulder and she, Alfred and Berlitz made their way into the city.

Kiku watched Natasha and Alfred interact as they went from place to place. Alfred bought Natasha a copy of the Triple Monarchy flag which had Natasha frowning as she looked at it as if she had seen it before but could not remember where.

Natasha joined some children as they drew the sun symbol of the Triple Monarchy in the main square and they ate cupcakes out of sight of the guards. They visited the library and Alfred showed her his homeland of America in a map book before going for food.

As Alfred waited to buy some nourishment, Kiku looked round the square and his eyes lit on the mosaic that some artisan had created when Natasha had been born, depicting her as a baby in the arms of her royal fathers, King Ludwig and King Feliciano and he knew that Natasha should see this and he willed her to look that way.

Natasha's eyes swept the Grand Square and eventually landed on the mosaic. The picture in colourful tiles drew her in as she gazed at the the tall, blonde man and the smaller man who's hair was made up of brown-red tiles and she stared at the baby who's hair was made up of tiles the colour of her own hair and the tiles used for the baby's eyes were the exact shade of violet of hers. Kiku watched as Natasha zoned out a little like she was trying to grabbed an elusive memory and knew that the image had awoken something.

A little girl with her mother and her baby sister, was holding a flower and proclaiming that it was for the missing princess and set it down among the other offerings and Natasha looked back up at the baby in the picture.

Then music began to play and it distracted Natasha from the mosaic as she approached the musicians playing the cheerful music and she began to dance with the music and that was how Alfred found her. She began pulling surrounding people into the dance and soon the square was full of prancing people.

Natasha waved for Alfred to join them but Alfred was not keen but, ultimately, had no choice when Berlitz bumped him into the dancing throng and he was swept away. As he got into the dance, he decided that he wanted to dance with one person and he began to swap partners to get to Natasha and he noticed Natasha was doing the same. They almost made it to each other, only to be swept away by other dancers and began to make their way back again. As they finally made it into each other's dancing arms, the music finished and the people cheered with happiness.

"TO THE BOATS!" Someone cried out and people began to make their way to the docks. Alfred had arranged for a boat of their own and he began to steer Natasha toward the quayside.

 _Look right!_ Kiku willed from Natasha's shoulder. Alfred eyes flicked to the right to see a stall selling flying lanterns and Kiku smiled as he went to buy some.

* * *

They became separated from Berlitz in the crush as Alfred lead the way to the boat he had hired and they climbed aboard. Kiku climbed off Natasha's shoulder, down her shoulder and up to the front of the boat and Alfred pushed off from the dockside and began to row out into the centre of the river. Berlitz arrived too late to join them in the boat and Alfred had left him with bag full of cuts of meat that he had 'mostly' paid for.

They reached the centre of the river and Alfred dropped the anchor and they waited for the sun to set. That was when the lanterns would start to fly. Twilight was covering the land and the castle was being shrouded in darkness, except for where lights shone in the windows. Kiku gazed at the castle, knowing that it was where Natasha belonged and he would do everything he could to see her back there. With the one she should be with.

He heard Natasha sighed and he turned looked at her melancholy expression.

"What's the matter?" Alfred asked, gently. Natasha was quiet for a moment.

"I'm scared," she finally replied. Alfred looked puzzled.

"Why?"

"I've been looking out of my window all my life," she replied. "Wondering what it would be like when I see the lanterns up close. What if it's not everything I dreamed it would be?"

Kiku could see that, in Alfred's eyes that he was remembering all the times he had seen the lanterns fly and how mesmerizing he had found it all.

"It will be," he promised

"What if it is?" she asked. "What do I do then?"

"That's the best part," he said. "You get to find a new dream!" Natasha smiled then turned and waited for the sun to set and the lanterns to fly. As the sky darkened, Alfred removed some of the flowers from Natasha's braid and she occupied herself with releasing them down the river. As she watched them float away, the reflection of a light caught her eye and she looked up. A light floated in the sky and she knew that this was only the first. The solitary light was soon joined my many others in a cloud of light and the scene that Natasha had longed for her entire life played out before her eyes.

* * *

Kiku knew the moment Alfred and Natasha fell in love, it shone in their eyes even though they were unaware of it. Natasha had gazed at the lanterns in such child-like amazement that Alfred could not help but watch her and Kiku watched them both as Alfred's face softened at the sight of Natasha against the lantern-filled sky. Alfred took out the two lanterns he had bought and lit them from the lamp attached to the front of the boat. Natasha turned to look at Alfred, saw the lanterns and something in her eyes shifted.

She sat down opposite him and reached under the seat to pull out the satchel she had hidden there when Alfred was not looking.

"I wanted to give you this before but I was scared," she admitted. Alfred looked at the satchel for a moment and then seemed to decide that it was not important in that moment. "But I'm not scared any more! You know what I mean?" Alfred smiled and Natasha held the satchel out to him but he held the lanterns in one hand and pushed it back.

"I think so," he replied, gently and Kiku cheered inwardly. His two charges had all but said, 'I love you!' to each other. Alfred gave one of the lanterns to Natasha and, together, they launched them into the air to join the others in a dance of flying lights with Alfred and Natasha basking in the beauty and their affection for each other. A lantern carrying the Triple Monarchy sun emblem, that Kiku knew had been launched by Natasha's parents, drifted down toward the water near the boat and Natasha put her fingers under the edge and threw it back into the air to be lost among the other lanterns. When she turned back to Alfred, their eyes met and locked. Alfred seemed to lean forward towards Natasha and Natasha began to do the same. Kiku pretended to avert his eyes but he was sneaking glimpses as Alfred and Natasha edged toward their first kiss. Oh, if only Kiku had some way of creating a picture of this to keep.

Natasha's eyes drifted shut as they get closer but just as their lips were about to meet, Alfred froze and began to pull back, looking over Natasha's shoulder. Kiku looked as well and spotted the two identical men from the quarry and he froze too. This was it! The part he was up to in the Tale! He had no knowledge beyond this point and he was flying blind now.

Natasha sensed Alfred's withdrawal and opened her eyes as Alfred continue to watch the Jones Twins disappear from sight so, when Natasha looked round, she did not see them.

"Is everything all right?" she asked, worried by Alfred's expression. Alfred shook himself out of whatever trance he had been in, looked down at the satchel and them back at Natasha.

"Oh yeah!" Alfred said, too fast. "Of course it is! It's just there's something I need to do. Okay?"

"Okay," Natasha replied and Alfred began to row to the river bank.

* * *

Kiku was now more than a little apprehensive as Alfred took the satchel and began to head away from them.

"I won't be long," he said. "It's just something I have to do. I'll be right back."

"Okay!" Natasha replied as she pondered this perplexing behaviour of Alfred's and Kiku pondered it too. He had to trust Alfred, after all, he was the hero of the Tale.

Was he not?

Natasha seemed to have the same concerns but she did not say as much.

"It'll be all right, Kiku," she assured him and Kiku took comfort in that. Alfred WAS the hero! He would rescue the girl and save the day! Kiku just wished he was not acting so strangely.

The mist that began rolling in did nothing to reassure either Kiku nor Natasha as the time crawled by and there was still no sign of Alfred. Than Natasha breathed a sigh of relief as she saw a silhouette in the mist.

Ah!" she laughed. "I was beginning to think you'd left me and taken the crown with you." Kiku knew something was wrong. That was not Alfred, that he was sure of.

 _'Run!'_ he willed. _'It's not him! Run now!'_ But Natasha was so blinded by relief that the message did not get through until it was too late and the silhouette split into two and revealed themselves as the two men from the quarry.

"He did!" one of them said. Kiku did not believe that for a second and neither did Natasha.

"What!" she gasped. "No! He wouldn't do that to me!"

"See for yourself!" the man's twin replied, pointing out over the water to a boat that was sailing away from them. At the helm was a silhouette that was definitely Alfred and he seemed to have the crown in his hand. Kiku could not believe his eyes! This could not be happening! Alfred was supposed to be the Hero!

"ALFRED!" Natasha cried out, in as much shock as Kiku but the figure on the boat gave no indication that he heard or he was ignoring them. The Twins chuckled.

"I say we got the better end of the deal, don't you, Alex?" one twin with a missing tooth, commented. "The crown for the girl with the magic hair! How much do you think someone will give to stay young and healthy forever?"

No! Kiku refused to believe that Alfred had given away Natasha's secret. Natasha's face fell as her faith in Alfred crumbled.

"Quite a bit, I'd say," Alex, who had a broken nose, replied and approached Natasha with a sack and she turned and ran. Kiku clung to her hair to prevent being thrown from her shoulder as she rounded a bend and leapt over a fallen tree but became stuck as her braid caught on a tree branch and she tried to pull herself free, desperate to escape the brothers. Then there were the sounds of thuds, pain and falling bodies.

"Natasha!"

Natasha froze at the sound of Katya's voice. Then she unhooked her hair and went back round the bend to see her mother holding a stout stick and the Twins on the ground. Katya had never look so old to Natasha before.

"Mother!" Katya dropped the stick and held out her arms to Natasha.

"My little girl!" she said, in a relieved voice.

"MOTHER!" Natasha cried and ran into her arms. Katya could feel the sobs that racked Natasha's body and smiled. Everything had gone just as she had planned. Right down to betraying the Jones Twins.

"Are you hurt?" Katya asked, faking concern. "I was so worried about you. So I followed you and saw them attack you." Katya went to steer Natasha away.

"Let's go before they wake up," she said. Natasha stopped, looking back at the sail boat heading back to the city dock. She began to weep and ran into her mother's arms.

"You were right!" she wailed. "You were right about everything!" Katya smiled but Kiku grimaced. Natasha's trust in Alfred was crushed and Katya was the victor.

"Let's go home!" she said and they walked away with Kiku looking back. Had he got it wrong? Alfred was supposed to be the Hero. Get the girl, defeat the villain and live Happily Ever After, he was not suppose to be the betrayer!

The villain was not suppose to win!

 **And there we go, we're into the home straight and next week SHOULD be the last chapter of this Tale. I say SHOULD because I try to make one chapter and it can end up as two but I think the next will be the last one.**

 **To themusicalcat** **– Yep! Mind Control Powers are banned for good reason D: but I don't think Kiku or Hercules would have used them for bad reasons! I'm considering doing Attack on Titan and perhaps a crossover with Hetalia (I have some really evil ideas in mind! Muahahaha! XP) That's pretty much Katya's job and, yeah, things will get harder now because Kiku doesn't know what's happening now. Let's see what happens!**

 **To takuya** **– Hope you love this one too! :) and the end is in sight but one ouchy hurty part coming up DX**

 **To Maveriqua** **– Yup! With a little help from Kiku! And don't worry! Katya will get hers! :)**

 **To Normandy** **– I know I've haven't put Arthur and Francis's search for Alfred in his because Kiku didn't really deal with them in HT5 but I've have been trying to find away to do so. Maybe Hercules might be away to do that as he will be back in the last chapter, we'll see! ;) And, yes, Kiku should have made time to read the story completely and I think he's getting that now! :(**

 **To ArtemisIsis13** **– Like any of us needed a reminder! DX And if I remember rightly, you didn't need your skillet last time XP Yeah! We're close to the end now and don't worry about it. I know you're out there so review whenever you can or what to, it's all good! :P Soon you'll see Hercules's perspective again as he helps Alfred in the prison and maybe we'll look in on Arthur and Francis at last! :D**

 **And that's it for this week! Next week will be a lesson to Kiku to do his homework! (Take a lesson from that, kids! This message was brought to you by Pastaaddict!) So till then,**

 **Hasta la Pasta!**


	13. Pt 13

**And now for the last chapter!** **This is a long one because I wanted to get this Tale finished and not rush it! I hope I managed it!**

 **And some old faces returns! Enjoy!**

 **Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya!**

 _ **Hetalia Tales 5:5 : A Fairy Tale Job Pt 13**_

Hercules watched as the boat collided with the dock, alerting the nearby guards to its presence and waking the man tied to the helm with a valuable crown tied to his hand who seemed oblivious as what was going on. Then Hercules turned toward the dog on the quayside as guards leapt on to the boat to grab Alfred and dragged him away as he yelled Natasha's name at the opposite shore and the German Shepherd looked in that direction. As Alfred was dragged away, Hercules came up to the side of Berlitz.

"We need to help him escape, you know," he said to the dog and, as a magically enhanced canine, thanks to Prince Marcello, son of Kings Antonio and Lovino, Hercules could hear Berlitz's response.

 _'Why should I help a thief escape?'_ Berlitz thought. _'And why should I trust you? I remember you from the Snuggly Duckling!'_ Hercules smiled.

"Because Natasha is clearly in danger," he replied. "And Alfred is the only one who knows where she might be! And I know you know who she is!" If a dog could look surprised, Berlitz managed it.

' _How did you know?"_ Berlitz demanded. _'You should not be able to know that!'_

"That doesn't matter," Hercules replied. "What matters is King Ludwig and King Feliciano's daughter is in danger and Alfred is the only one who can help her. Will you like your dislike of me, and anyone who might help, risk your master never seeing his offspring again? Do you want to lose your childhood friend for good?" Berlitz wondered how this man knew that he knew his Master's offspring when he was a pup. This man seemed to know a great deal!

 _'Alright!'_ Berlitz replied. _'I'll accept your assistance!'_

"Good!" Hercules said. "First, let's round up some help!"

* * *

"What are you doing back here, Feta-breath?" Sadik growled as Hercules came through the door and everyone in the tavern turned and stiffened as Berlitz came in behind him, recognised as he was as King Ludwig's guard-dog. "You brought the King's dog back here! After it revealed our secret passage! Are you mad?"

"He's here for another purpose, this time," Hercules replied before Sadik could come up to him and punch him. "Ryder's been captured and taken before the Kings. If what I've heard is true, he'll be sentenced to death for stealing the crown of the Missing Princess!"

"If Ryder stole that, he deserves everything he gets!" Sadik snorted. "Not even I would steal that! Why should we care?" Everyone looked at Hercules to hear his response.

"Natasha, the young girl who was with him, is missing and in possible danger," he told them. "And Ryder's the only one who could possibly know where she is!" Muttering ran around the tavern because, as indifferent as they were about Ryder, Natasha was a different story. The sweet girl had worked her way into their affections and they would do anything to help her, even help Ryder escape prison.

"I'm in!" Roland called out and Matt held his hand up.

"Count me in too, eh!" he said.

"I'll go as well," Andres stated and Oliver stepped forward.

"I want to help the little poppet too," he said and offered up a tray. "Does anyone want a cupcake?"

"NO!"

* * *

The Snuggly Duckling Posse as they were unofficially dubbed made their way to the prison just before sunrise and managed to get inside, though none of the posse knew how (except Hercules) and they hid as they listen to the guards talk about the morning execution of Flynn Ryder and began to plan how to get him out. Sadik looked out at the courtyard from where they were hiding and came up with a Plan B, just in case.

Morning came and Captain Luciano Vargas took his brother, Lieutenant Flavio Vargas and two other guards toward the cells and the posse put their plan into action. While they were busy in the cells, the posse took out the guards in the corridor. Oliver was in charge of the exit from the corridor while Andres climbed into the rafters. Sadik hid in a room on the left while Hercules took a room on the right. The exit was opened while Oliver hid behind the door, holding the frying pan he had taken to carrying since meeting Natasha and her frying pan, ready to act when the time was right. Matt and Roland were in the escape route, ready to run interference while they got Ryder away.

Then they heard sounds of struggling and the door opened at the other end, Luciano coming through it, followed by Flavio and the two guards who were trying to drag Alfred along as he fought them, despite being in shackles. Oliver watched as they came closer and, when they were a few feet from the door, he slammed it shut and locked the door. The doors of the room either side slammed shut too and Oliver heard banging on the door and he opened the eye slot, looking into Luciano's confused and somewhat angry eyes.

"Hello, Loves!" Oliver said, cheerfully. "Password!" Luciano looked flummoxed.

"What!" Oliver smiled.

"Wrong!" he sang and slid the slot shut. The banging started again and he opened the eye slot again.

"Password, poppets!" he demanded again. Sadik quietly opened the door of the room he was hiding in and looked out at the guard on the left. He reached out, put his hand over the guard's mouth and silently pulled him into the room and knocked him out.

On the other side, Hercules opened his door and the other guard was within reach. He put a silence spell on the guard and dragged him into the room. The guard tried to fight but Hercules put his hand on the guard's forehead and he dropped like a stone. He looked back out of the door, up at the rafters and smiled.

Andres looked down at Flavio as he began to notice that the other two guards had vanished so he had to move fast. A shame because he thought Flavio was kind of cute! Ah well!

He reached down, grabbed Flavio's shoulders and pulled him up into the rafters with him. Flavio was too surprised to cry out when he landed in the rafters with Andres and Andres gave him a hard kiss.

"Hello, Cutie!" he whispered before knocking him out. Andres hoped he would not hold that against him when he woke up. That and the fact that he was not the most law abiding citizen around.

"Open up!" Luciano demanded at Oliver, having no idea that he was now the only one with the prisoner.

"Nowhere near!" Oliver declared and slid the slot shut again. The door rattled as Luciano battered the door.

"OPEN THE DAMN DOOR!" he shouted and Oliver gasped in shock. Really! Was there any need for such language! He opened the slot, stuck his hand through and flicked Luciano on the nose.

"Stop swearing!" he admonished and shut the slot again. After a moment, he opened the door a crack to see that Luciano had spotted that his brother and the other guards were gone and had his back to the door. He quietly stepped out behind Luciano and swung his frying pan. Luciano hit the ground like a falling tree. Sadik and Hercules left their rooms and Andres dropped from the rafters while Alfred laughed as Hercules removed his shackles.

"Who knew frying pans had so many uses, right?"

Then the door behind them began to shake as something hit it from behind and they knew the other guards were coming.

"RUN!" Sadik yelled and he, Hercules and Alfred shot through the door and down the corridor, followed by Oliver as they made a break for freedom.

* * *

Roland could hear footsteps coming toward him while Matt hid himself in a side corridor as Roland watched Sadik, Hercules and Alfred come round the corner, Oliver having gone down an earlier corridor, taking some guards with him. Roland grabbed his guitar as the three runners shot passed him and then he nodded to Matt as guards appeared in hot pursuit and Roland stepped out, playing his guitar and blocking their path.

"Get out of the way!" one of the guards yelled but Roland kept playing while looking down the corridor as Matt charged toward the guards with a hockey stick (whatever that was). The guards barely had time to scream before the slapping stick robbed them of their consciousness. Roland cringed.

That was going to leave some permanent marks!

* * *

Kiku had no choice but to return to the tower with Natasha and Katya and watched as Katya pulled the flowers from Natasha's hair and released it from her braid. Katya picked up the basket she had dropped the flowers into and went to leave, declaring that she was making Hazelnut soup for dinner but Natasha did not react, just sat on her bed and gazed down at her hands. Kiku was disgusted as Katya sounded sorry for Natasha's depressed state when she was actually anything but.

"I tried to warn you about the outside world, Natasha," Katya told her. "I tried very hard! The world is a dark, selfish and cruel place. It always seeks to destroy anything good. If it finds the slightest trace of sunshine and purity, it snuffs it out!" With that parting shot, she left!

Kiku sat on the table beside Natasha's bed as she continued to sit and stare at her hands silently. Then she opened her hands and opened out the piece of cloth she held in them to reveal the Triple Monarchy flag that Alfred had bought her and she looked at it with sad eyes.

That was it! Kiku hated to leave Natasha when she was feeling so down but he had to read the end of the Tale to find out what happened because he simply could not believe that Alfred had betrayed Natasha. He loved her, Kiku was sure of it so there was no way he do that to Natasha.

As Natasha laid down on her bed, Kiku crawled to the floor and left the room. As Katya pottered around the kitchen, Kiku stood in the main room, took his human from and summoned a portal to take him home.

* * *

Alfred, Sadik and Hercules ran but every exit was blocked by guards so Sadik decided to put Plan B into action and lead them to the courtyard. Alfred was completely confused as to why Sadik would lead them to a dead end with seemingly no way out and guards pouring from every door but Hercules knew exactly what Sadik was doing as Sadik pointed to a cart that stood in the centre.

"Stand him on the cart!" he said to Hercules and then ran back into prison the way he had come. Hercules chanted a spell beneath his breath and then grabbed Alfred and placed him on the end of the cart that rested on the floor.

"Head down!" he instructed and Alfred obeyed. ""Arms in! …..." Hercules spotted Sadik on the floor above them, ready to jump. "... Brace yourself!"

"Why brace myse..." the rest ended in a scream as Sadik leapt from his perch, down on to the other end of the cart, catapulting Alfred into the air and over the prison wall. Hercules knew that the spell he had cast on Alfred would make him land safely in the feeding pen full of hay where Berlitz was waiting with a horse to take him to the tower. After all, Hercules could not have Alfred landing just anywhere. He would not save anyone as a bloody stain on the ground.

The guards were everywhere now and Sadik and Hercules split up in an effort to escape. Every one but Hercules was caught.

* * *

Invisible to everybody, Hercules watched as Kings Ludwig and Feliciano swept into the prison, followed by a blue-eyed, blonde man with a beard and a Fae, also with blonde, messy hair, huge eyebrows and green eyes and wings with a ball of light and a flying green rabbit above his head. Hercules recognised Arthur of the Kirkland Clan from the Beauty and the Beast Tale when Hercules went to tell that his son, Matthew had disappeared. Throughout the Tales, Arthur had been searching for his other son, Alfred and now he was here with his French husband, Francis, obviously seeking help from his former charge, King Feliciano.

Luciano had just regain consciousness when they arrived and he could not apologise enough for his failure.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesties," he said. ""Ryder escaped but I'll find him and, this time, I'll make sure he pays!" King Ludwig shook his head.

"The execution is cancelled, Captain," he replied. "Ryder will be brought back, unharmed by his father, not the guard!"

"Sire?" Luciano could not understand why the King had changed his mind so quickly but Ludwig had turned back to Arthur.

"Can you still find him?" Arthur nodded, indicating the ball of light.

"This light will lead us straight to Alfred," he said and Luciano frowned, wondering who Alfred was.

"I wish you luck!" Ludwig replied. "Go find your son!"

"Ve~ Good luck, Uncle Arthur," Feli called after them as Arthur and Francis left with the light and the rabbit following them.

Hercules turned and opened a portal. The rest was up to Kiku now.

* * *

A little pixie flew through the forest, singing a happy little song. She had long wavy, ginger hair with freckles across a nose that sat between a pair of grey eyes. She wore a little white dress that stopped just above her knees and wore little green shoes. As she fluttered her way through the greenery, a figure stepped out in front of her and she shot back with a little cry of panic. When she got a good look at the figure she calmed down.

"Is that you, Pastaaddict?" she asked, looking at the brown haired female with green eyes wearing a red cloak. "You startled me!" Pastaaddict looked apologetic.

"Sorry, Kin of Norway," she said. "Listen, you know where the Revenge Pixies hang out, don't you?" Kin of Norway nodded.

"You remember the Chamberlain, right," Kin of Norway nodded, more enthusiastically.

"Oh yes!" she grinned. "Me and my friends had a lot of fun with him!" Pastaaddict grinned with her.

"Well, I've got another one for you," she said and told Kin of Norway about Katya and what she had done to Natasha. When she was done. Kin of Norway had a determined look on her face.

"Leave it to us!" she declared. "Me and my friends will take care of her!" Pastaaddict smiled.

"I knew I could count on you," she replied. "Have fun!" And Kin of Norway flew of to find her friends. She would enjoy this!

* * *

Alfred galloped through the woods and into the valley that Natasha's tower resided in. He leapt off the horse before it stopped and he stared up at the window.

"Natasha! Let down your hair!" There was no response so he began to climb the tower, leaving Berlitz below as he arrived after Alfred but when he was part way up, Natasha's hair came flying down so Alfred grabbed on to it and began to ascend to the window.

* * *

Kiku was reading through what he had missed and realised that they had been mistaken about Alfred. He had gone to use the crown to try get the Jones Twins off his back so he could be with Natasha without putting her at risk from his former colleagues but they had been told about Natasha's hair by Katya and had knocked Alfred out, tied him up in the boat and sent him out with the crown to be caught by the royal guards to be taken to the Kings to be sentenced to death! Kiku's heart went into his chest when he read that but breathed a sigh of relief when he found that Hercules had organized a rescue.

Kiku also read about Natasha, remembering her real family and confronting Katya. Kiku cheered when Natasha finally saw Katya for what she was, a liar and a manipulator. Kiku clapped when Natasha declared her intention to leave and find her real home and family but, of course, it was never that simple and Katya took her prisoner before she could leave.

But Alfred was coming, galloping through the woods toward the tower and Natasha, with Berlitz following. He got to the tower and called up to Natasha. When he received no answer, he began to scale the wall of the tower until Natasha's hair came flying out of the window and Alfred began to use that instead but Kiku knew that Natasha was not the one who had sent it down.

Because, as Alfred climbed through the window, he saw Natasha gagged and chained to the stairs but what he did not see was Katya behind him, with a dagger …..

Kiku activated a portal. He had to get back! This was happening now! He had to get back and stop Katya!

* * *

He transformed into his chameleon form as he came through the portal in Natasha's room and scampered to the stairs but he was too late! He was just in time to see Katya pull the dagger from Alfred's body and Alfred fall to the ground. Kiku scrambled down the stairs, not believing what he was seeing. This is not supposed to happen! Alfred is the hero, he is not supposed to die! No! He could not fail!

"Look at what you've caused, Natasha," she said, putting the guilt of her crime on the distraught girl. "But never mind! When he dies, our secret dies with him." Katya took the chain from the staircase and began dragging Natasha toward the trapdoor. All Natasha wanted to do was get to the injured Alfred.

"Now!" Katya said, struggling against Natasha. "We are going somewhere where you'll never be found again." Natasha just kept pulling away from the trapdoor and her former parent. On reflection, it would have been better if Kiku took his human form to help but he panicked and stayed as a chameleon to grabbed Katya's cloak in his mouth and pulling. Katya looked down, laughed and kicked Kiku against the wall and he fell to the floor, too stunned to be of any help.

"Natasha, stop it!" Katya snapped, grabbing Natasha bodily and pulling her up. "Enough! Just stop fighting!" As Natasha pulled away and fell to the floor, her gag came off and she looked up at Katya with anger.

"NEVER!" she shouted. "I'll never stop fighting you. For every minute of the rest of my life, I will fight you. I'll never stop trying to leave." Then Natasha looked at Alfred.

"But if you just let me save him," she continued. "I won't fight you any more. I'll go with you willingly, no argument!"

"No, Natasha!" Alfred groaned. "Don't!" Alfred tried to crawl past Kiku as he came out of his daze to get to Natasha to stop her doing this.

"I won't try to leave again," Natasha promised. "I won't run. We'll be together, just the way you want it. We'll go back to the way things were. I promise! Just let me heal him!" Kiku wanted Natasha to stop! When she made a promise, she kept it, no matter what the cost to herself and Katya knew it too. If she let Natasha heal Ryder, she would have Natasha without having to fight to keep her so she agreed.

She took the chains from Natasha and clamped them around Alfred's wrist and secured them to the stairs again. She said it was to stop him from following them when they left but the truth was she planned to return and kill him. He knew too much!

Natasha knelt beside him

"I'm sorry, Alfred," she apologised. "But it'll be all right!" But Alfred pushed away the hair she tried put against his wound.

"I'm not letting you do this!" he gasped in pain.

"I'm not letting you die, Alfred," she cried. "I can't live with that!"

"If you do this, you'll die," Alfred replied and he meant in spirit. A slave to Katya's pursuit of eternal youth. No more freedom, ever!

"It'll be fine," Natasha said but Alfred did not believe that and neither did Kiku but since Natasha had made this deal and Katya agreed to it, Kiku could no longer interfere. Natasha put her hair on Alfred's stab wound and took a breath. Alfred's hand came up and caressed her hair.

"Natasha, wait!" he begged. His hand travelled down her hair and she revelled in his touch.

Then suddenly he grabbed her hair and dragged something across it with something in his other hand. The strands snapped and a great weight fell away from Natasha's head as the mass of hair was cut short by a shard of the mirror Katya had broken earlier in a struggle with Natasha.

Katya screamed as the detached hair from blonde to auburn, even the short hair left on Natasha's head was changing colour. Katya desperately gathered up the hair but, as the hair lost it's blondness, Katya began to lose her youth and grow older. She saw her ageing face in the mirror pieces that scattered the floor and pulled her cloak over her head, as if that would stop her ageing.

Kiku could not believe what had happened, what Alfred had done! Katya was still staggering about and Kiku saw a length of Natasha's detached hair and pulled across the floor in front of the window. Katya's feet tripped on the hair and she fell from the window, screaming.

* * *

A group of pixies watched as Katya fell from the tower and Kin of Norway waved her hand. Katya was suddenly floating in the air in a haze of blue and the other pixies fluttered around her.

"Is this the one Pastaaddict told us about, Ekouta?" asked a little pixie in green and lilac with lilac wings, blue eyes and brown hair with blonde on the ends and sounding annoyed.

"I believe it is, EverythingMath," Ekouta, an auburn-haired pixie with orangey eyes replied with a sassy tone. She sounded as annoyed as EverythingMath.

"Oh dear!" another pixie in a light blue dress that matched her eyes and wings, exclaimed. She had long blonde hair that reached the back of her knees. She had little glasses perched on her little nose and carried a little book. "She's growing older, ArtemisIsis13. She'll die soon of old age."

"Oh! We can't have that, Briana. schmidt1," a pixie with untameable, short black hair and hazel-brown eyes that were slightly slanted, replied. She wore a dark-purple and forest green dress that was shredded deliberately to look, well, shredded and she had purple wings that were transparent. All the pixies placed a hand on Katya and she began glowing white. Katya became young again. Young forever, just when she thought her life was over.

"That takes care of that," a little boy pixie, one of the only two males in the group, said. He had brown shaggy hair that would blend in with tree bark and eyes of bright turquoise. He wore light blue trousers and a little blue sweater vest and he had small green wings. "what shall we do with her now, Scarlet Phantom?"

"I know of a new home for her, Nightshine315," A little red-headed pixie replied. She had scarlet eyes and wore a little Victorian-style coat. She gave the appearance of being weak but that was deceptive. She was usually nice, just not to bad people. "After all, Natasha won't welcome her now. I know someone'll take her in. And I just might get a cup of tea. What do you think, Maple?"

Cardfighter by Maple or Maple, a pixie with rusty red hair and green eyes, wearing a dress that looked like it was made out of maple leaves and a crown of maple leaves in her hair, nodded.

"I know just who you're talking about," she agreed with a grin. "Yes, he'll be happy to give her a home.

"Thank you!" Katya exclaimed. "Thank you so much!" Kin of Norway laughed as she changed into a flying brown rabbit with red eyes flew into Katya's line of sight.

"You're thanking them!" she giggled. "Why are you thanking them? Trust me! They're not doing you a favour. This way, my little friends!"

Katya screamed as they flew away with her.

* * *

Katya was gone, at long last but Alfred was dying! Kiku could not believe he had failed so badly! He should have read the full Tale before beginning this task but he been caught up with looking after Hercules's cats, especially Lucifer, not that that was an excuse. He had failed! He could still help Natasha find her family but Alfred was dying and there was nothing he could do about it!

Natasha held Alfred's head in her lap as he breathed shallowly and painfully as his life leaked away.

"Alfred!" she cried and he coughed, opening his eyes. "Stay with me, please!" She took his hand and placed it on her now short auburn hair.

"Flower, gleam and glow," she sobbed, desperately singing her song which was now useless "Let your power shine. Let the clock reverse. Bring back what once was mine." Her hair did not glow.

"It's too late," Alfred gasped, breathing becoming difficult.

"It can't be," she refused to believe. "I won't let it!"

"Natasha!" Alfred whispered. "You were my new dream!"

"You ARE mine," she replied, tears sliding down her face. Alfred smiled before his eyes fluttered shut.

His hand fell from her hair and his face fell to the side as his entire body went limp.

NO! thought Kiku. This was not supposed to happen. Alfred was supposed to live, take Natasha to her family and they would live happily ever after together. THIS WAS NOT SUPPOSE TO HAPPEN!

Natasha began to cry as she caressed Alfred's dead cheek. She sang her song again as the tears fell from her cheek and she held close as a tear fell on to his cheek. The shape of a flower glowed where the tear was absorbed into Alfred's skin and light shone from the wound in Alfred's side. The light moved around the tower, into every corner, and then it faded.

Alfred took a breath. And then another. And then another!

Both Natasha and Kiku gasped as Alfred opened his eyes and looked up at Natasha who now sported a head of short, auburn hair with a curl on the left side and smiled.

"Natasha!"

"Alfred!"

"Ya know something? I prefer brunettes!" Natasha gave a laugh and she kissed him. Kiku could have laughed with relief as he watched them kiss.

They kissed for a long time.

* * *

Alfred and Natasha galloped back into the city after Natasha told what she remembered, that she was the Missing Princess, the daughter of Kings Ludwig and Feliciano. He knew he was risking re-arrest by taking Natasha back to the city but she had every right to be with her parents. It was a surprise to him that none of the guards made a move to apprehend him. It was a surprise to Kiku too but he was not going to question it.

They rode to the palace and announced that the Missing Princess had returned. The guards would not have believe it, had there not been a resemblance between Natasha and King Feliciano (sound familiar?). Alfred and Natasha were taken to a balcony in the palace and they waited until the doors to the balcony opened and two men stepped through.

Both wore crowns and one had golden blonde hair that was slicked back and he had light blue eyes but it was the auburn-haired man who caught Natasha's attention. It was the same colour as hers was now and had the same curl on the left. He took a step toward her and she took one toward him. They met and looked at each other, happy tears filling the man's eyes and he cried out Ve~ and hugged her and she hugged her mother/father for the first time in her life.

Another pair of arms embraced the both of them and Natasha looked up to see her other father holding both of them. Kiku watched Alfred watching the touching reunion with longing and he knew that he was thinking of the family he was so desperately trying to find. Feliciano looked up and held his hand out to Alfred and, after a moment, Alfred took it, only to find himself pulled into the embrace with them.

Feliciano called a guard over!

"Bring his Excellency and his husband to the throne room," he ordered. "Quickly!" The guard ran off and they went to the throne room. They talked and Alfred explained his reasons for stealing Natasha's crown and how he was looking for his family which had Feli smiling.

"Vee~," he said. "They may be closer than you think." And the throne room doors were opened and Arthur and Francis entered.

"You wanted to see us, Your Majes ….. " Arthur trailed off as he saw who was with the King and went into shock. The blonde hair, the cowlick, the sky-blue eyes. Arthur had been connected magically to both sons and he had felt Alfred die. Yet here he was!

"Alfred!" Arthur gasped. Alfred was alive!

"Alfred!" he cried, flying to Alfred and engulfing him in an embrace.

Just as Arthur let Alfred go, Francis suddenly swept him up in a hug with tears in his blue eyes.

"Mon fils!" he wept. "Mon petit garçon!" The dream came back to Alfred. The dream about his parents. His brother.

"Dad?" he gasped. "Papa?" The two men hugged him again.

"Welcome home, son!"

"Matthew!" he blurted. "Where's Matthew?" Arthur smiled.

"He'll be here," he promised. "I'll see to it!" They hugged again and all of them cried.

Kiku smiled. He had done everything he needed to. It was time to go!

* * *

When it was discovered that the men who helped Alfred escape prison did it so Alfred could save Natasha, they were all pardoned and they began to follow their dreams and Oliver was no exception. He opened a bakery called 'Oliver's Sweet Treats' and right now he was taking cupcakes with some questionable ingredients out of the oven. Then he heard the shop door opened and went to see if it was a customer.

"Hello, Loves," Oliver said, brightly, seeing Flying Chocolate Bunny AKA Kin of Norway and all his little pixie friends with a human woman, wearing a weird collar. "What brings you to my establishment?" Kin of Norway smiled.

"We have a surprise for you, Oliver," she squeaked. The pixies pushed the woman forward.

"We have a new taste-tester for you, Oliver," a little Tinker bell type pixie in a little blue dress said, cheerfully. She had auburn hair like King Feliciano's and her wings matched her dress.

"Oh! Thank you, Ishikawa Miki," Oliver clapped his hands at the idea.

"And this one won't die like the others," another pixie, the other male one, added with a little laugh. He dressed in green and blue to match his eyes, that contained a slightly psychotic gleam, with dark-blonde hair. "Although she'll still feel the affects of your ….. special ingredients. And the collar means she'll do what ever you tell her to do."

"Is that right, Musicalcat?" Oliver replied, happily. "Well then, your timing is prefect. I've just taken a fresh batch of cupcakes out of the oven." He turned to Katya who looked terrified and beckoned with his finger.

"This way, poppet!"

Kin of Norway left the shop and spotted a familiar red cloak and smiled at the figure. Pastaaddict gave her a thumbs up and left.

* * *

Kiku stepped back into the The Hall of Tales and Hercules was waiting for him.

"Next time I make sure I read the whole Tale before I start!" he vowed.

Was it a success?" Hercules asked, holding a sleepy Lucifer.

"Hai!" Kiku replied as he turned and closed the book, _Hetalia Tales._ "It was a little close for a moment but everything is exactly how it's meant to be. Another Tale ended just the way it should."

"That's our job, my love," Hercules replied, giving Kiku a kiss on his forehead.

"This one has been a long journey," Kiku commented.

"True," Hercules reminisced . "You warning the Fae about Natalya's minions. They never knew it was you who warned Alexander in the first place."

"You sent Lovino back to Antonio leading to their first kiss," Kiku replied, with a soft smile.

"Everything you did for Katyusha to get her to the Ball!" Kiku still had a little bit of a grudge where Lucifer was concerned over that Tale but Lucifer had improved since then.

"Giving Matthew that book and warning Arthur about his disappearance," Kiku commented.

"Telling the Jones Brothers about the crown and setting Alfred on the road to finding Natasha!" Hercules replied. "All the things you did for Natasha. Do you think they'll ever realise that Natasha was Natalya reborn?"

"It's better that they don't," Kiku commented. "Natalya's darkness was not her fault. She deserves a second chance."

"Do you remember how it started?" Hercules asked and he opened the book at the first page.

"Arthur, Francis, the twins and the Dark Fae?" Kiku replied. "How could I forget?"

And they re-read the first Tale they had watched over.

 **And we're back to the beginning! Yes, I brought back the pixies, that was fun! A little egotistical to put myself in but I don't do that often. To everyone who reviewed through their account I'll be answering those reviews by PM after I post this but to those who reviewed as a guest, I'll answer here!**

 **To Normandy** **– We finally saw Arthur and Francis and they've been reunited with their long lost son! YAY! XD I have nieces and nephews and I would be devastated if any of them went missing and quite right! You dodged a bullet, Kiku! Next time, do your homework! :P**

 **And that's it for this story! For HT6:5 I plan for Francis and the boys to meet the family they've now joined! Yes, they're about to meet the Kirkland Clan in Meet The In-Laws. It should be a one-shot, at least I hope so!**

 **So till then,**

 **Hasta la Pasta!**


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